Greenhorns and Rivals
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: COMPLETE! Based on tv series: Deadliest Catch. Centers on the Northwestern. A greenhorn joins the crew, but this time it's a girl. Maverick and Northwestern have a history, and not a good one. Tensions between the two vessels could cause series trouble.
1. Chapter 1

This was just something that popped in my head

**This was just something that popped in my head...if people review and like it, I'll keep going at it!!**

**And yes, the character I created is basically the same one I used for my Prison Break fic….**

Chapter 1: Greenhorn

"Hey, Sig!" yelled a very irate Edgar Hansen.

Sig rolled his eyes as he glanced up from his glass of beer. He was sitting comfortably in the bar along the shore when Edgar burst into the room, yelling. He sighed in resignation as he realized his one peaceful moment had just been destroyed.

"What Edgar?" asked Sig, irritated.

"What the heck are you thinkin'!"

"Why are you yelling?" asked Sig, calmly as he gazed up into his younger brother's furious eyes.

"You let a freakin' _girl_ sign on with us!"

Sig sighed again. He had seen this one coming. He had met a girl by the name of Jack Harper the other day. She was out looking for a first-time job on a crab boat. After an hour of conversation, Sig was convinced that the girl had what it took to be a crabber.

"I'm giving her a shot, Edgar," said Sig, still maintaining his cool, "If it doesn't work out, don't worry about it…I'll let her go."

Edgar sneered disbelievingly.

"Do you have any idea what that means for us and the rest of our crew?" he hissed, "The Maverick is going to destroy us! They hate us enough as it is, why give them more ammo to use?"

Sig shook his head in disgust. A few years ago, he and the head captain, Rick Quasknick, had gotten into a pretty heated disagreement. It escalated and over the past several seasons, evolved into an all out war between the two vessels. The Northwestern vs. The Maverick. And the Maverick never missed an opportunity to make fun of or torment the Northwestern.

"I've made my decision, Edgar," said Sig, standing to face his brother, "And I'm not backing down because of the Maverick. The girl will be joining us tomorrow."

PLEASE REVIEW!!

I know this was short, but it's kind of a tester to see if people are interested!! Review so I know whether or not to continue this!!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so I haven't gotten any reviews yet…but I'm gonna write the next chapter anyway…

**Okay so I haven't gotten any reviews yet…but I'm gonna write the next chapter anyway…**

Chapter 2: Day 1

A young woman walked down the long dock at Dutch Harbor. Her auburn hair waved wildly in the wind. She pulled her parka closer to her, trying to escape the bitterly cold air.

As she walked down the dock, she glanced up at the other boats. She paused when she came up to the Time Bandit. She flashed back to her conversation with Sig Hansen a couple days ago…

"_There's something you should know," said Sig, sitting at the bar, "There's been a pretty bitter feud between the Northwestern and the Maverick for quite some time now. You are not to associate yourself with any of their crew members if you choose to work for me."_

"_What happened?" asked Jack, curiously._

"_The captain, Rick Quashnick and I got into a pretty heated argument a few years back. You see, before then we had always pulled pranks on one another. It was never anything series, just good clean fun. But after a while the pranks became more series, more destructive, and even harmful for the other crew members. I tried to talk to him about it and the discussion ended up in a very intense argument. We got into a fight and haven't really been friends ever since. And his best friends are Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand, captains of the Time Bandit. They sided with him and my best friend, Phil Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie, sided with us."_

Jack frowned up at the large vessel. A couple of the crew members spotted her and began to point and mumble to each other. Jack gritted her teeth and continued walking down the long dock.

Soon, she began to walk past the Maverick. A young, blonde-haired man stepped off the boat, calling back to a couple of his crew members.

"Make sure that's tied down real tight!" he yelled, "We don't want it swinging around on deck!"

The crew members nodded and moved to tie down a stack of pots.

The young man turned to walk down the dock and saw Jack. He flashed her a charming smile and winked.

"How you doin'?" he asked with a slight drawl as he passed.

Jack could not help smiling back.

"Hi," she said, faintly as she passed him.

Just on the other side of the dock sat the Northwestern. Edgar Hansen had not missed the little exchange. A look of intense displeasure crossed his face as Jack walked onto the boat.

"Jack Harper?" asked Edgar, gruffly.

"Yeah," said Jack as she held out her hand, "And you are?"

"Edgar Hansen," he replied, ignoring her outstretched hand.

Jack rolled her eyes and stepped back.

"You know who that guy was?" he asked, giving her a sharp look.

"No, why?" asked Jack, narrowing her eyes.

"That's Blake Painter, co-captain of the Maverick."

Jack averted her gaze, "He was just saying hi."

Edgar glared at her.

"I don't care. Sig told you not to associate yourself with them, _at all_."

Edgar muttered something under his breath and turned to straighten up a stack of pots.

"So," said Jack after a moment, "Where do I put my stuff?"

"Your bunk below deck," replied Edgar, shortly.

Jack gave a faint smile and walked below deck.

Her bunk was a bottom one with very little room to move around. She was glad she had listened to Sig's advice on packing lightly. She shoved her bag under the bed and walked back outside.

The wind was picking up slightly and she tugged on her jacket some more.

"Yo, greenhorn!" called a man as he walked onto the deck, "What are ya' doin' standing around like that?"

Jack smiled as she realized the man was only joking.

"You must be Jack Harper," he said as he approached her, "I'm Matt Bradley."

The man stuck out his hand to shake hers.

"Wow," said Jack, shooting a look in Edgar's direction, "At least _some_ people are nice around here."

Matt followed her glare and gave a crooked smile.

"Aw, don't mind Edgar," he said, good-naturedly, "He's supposed to be rough on greenhorns. It's kind of part of his job. That and he's naturally a grouch."

Edgar shot Matt a look and turned back to the pots.

"Instead of running your mouths, why don't you two get over here and help me tie down these pots?" he asked, irritably.

Edgar and Jack rolled their eyes at the same time and shared a laugh as they walked over to Edgar.

Edgar glared at them for a moment before he stalked over to the next stack of pots.

"Excuse us for havin' a little fun," muttered Matt.

Jack smiled and watched closely as Matt taught her the proper techniques of tying down pots.

She felt a thrill of excitement course through her veins. In less than a week, she would be out on the Bering Sea.

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Blake Painter

Chapter 3: Blake Painter

It was the end of a long, grueling day. Sig worked the Northwestern crew to their limits. In two days, they would be heading out for the Bering Sea for the opillio crab season.

Jack had paid close attention to the crew's instructions and felt good and ready to leave Dutch Harbor for her first crab fishing expedition.

As evening came and the sun sank on Dutch Harbor, Jack walked over to the local bar where she had first met Sig.

The dim lighting inside gave the room a warm and welcoming feel. She sighed and sat down wearily on the nearest bar stool.

"You're the new girl aren't you?"

Jack turned to see who was talking to her. A few bar stools down, sat Blake Painter. He saw the look of panic on Jack's face and glanced away with a smirk.

"I guess Sig and Edgar filled you in about the whole rivalry thing, huh?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, they did."

"Stupid, isn't it?"

Jack inclined her head and gazed at Blake in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the whole thing started because of some disagreement between two captains," replied Blake as he stood up and walked over to her, "It happened a long time ago too. I don't see why it should affect everyone else."

Jack thought for a moment, and then nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said with a slight smile.

"And the Cornelia Marie siding with the Northwestern, and the Time Bandit siding with us…sheesh it's like second grade all over again!"

Jack smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Everyone has to pick a side."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Blake, with feeling, "It's so juvenile!"

Jack laughed, "You really are worked up about this whole thing, aren't you?"

Blake shrugged as he sunk down onto the bar stool beside of her.

"I guess it just gets old after a while. Especially when you meet a pretty girl on a rival boat."

Jack glanced away and smiled, despite herself.

"You know what?" she asked, after a moment, "They told me not to even say hi to you or anyone else on your boat."

Blake sneered, "Surprise, surprise. But what they don't know won't hurt 'em."

Blake flashed her a smile and gave her a wink.

Jack felt herself blush and glanced away.

"So, anyway…"

Blake was interrupted by the sound of the front door swinging open.

"What do you think you're doing?" said a shocked and very angry Edgar Hansen.

Jack felt her heart freeze with dread as she looked fearfully up at Edgar.

Blake's face twisted into a snarl of defiance.

"We were just talking, Edgar," he said, angrily.

Edgar shot him look of pure loathing.

"I don't care! You of all people know the rules and so does she!"

"That's not fair!" protested Blake, rising out of his seat.

Edgar gave him a head to toe glance.

"You really think that's wise, Blake?" he challenged as he gazed down at Blake's clenched hands.

Blake took a steadying breath and stepped back a little.

Edgar turned his glare back to Jack.

"Come on," he ordered as he turned to leave.

Jack stood up slowly and began to follow Edgar to the door, when Blake grabbed her arm and leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"We can talk some other time. Don't let this stupid feud bother you."

"Jack! Now!" yelled Edgar, holding the door open.

Jack nodded at Blake, acknowledging what he had said. She took a breath and glanced back at Edgar. His face was a mask of anger and frustration. She sighed and followed him out into the freezing night air.

PLEASE REVIEW!!

One question: anybody know the name of the local bar at Dutch Harbor?? I should know this, since I'm a Deadliest Catch fanatic, but for some reason I'm drawing a mind blank…


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so I don't have any reviews yet, but I like this story so I'm gonna write anyway…please review though

**Okay, so I don't have any reviews yet, but I like this story so I'm gonna write anyway…please review though!! I thrive on feedback!!**

Chapter 4: Edgar and Jack

Jack hung back a bit as Edgar strode angrily ahead of her on the dock. He whirled around suddenly and glared down at her.

"What do you think you were doing?" he hissed, furiously.

"I was just talking," replied Jack, steadily holding his angry gaze, "We weren't doing anything wrong."

Edgar shook his head in exasperation.

"Yeah, you were! He's Maverick. How many times am I going to have to explain this to you until if finally sinks through your thick head?"

Jack's eyes flashed with anger.

"Blake was right," she murmured, looking away, "The whole rivalry is so stupid. It happened a while back and we weren't even there, so why should it have to affect us?"

Edgar sneered, "You really shouldn't listen to him. And that kind of thinking is going to cause our crew some serious problems and I know Sig doesn't want that."

"But it doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Jack, despairingly.

Edgar frowned slightly and sighed.

"I know," he muttered.

Jack's eyes flew up to his face in surprise. Just a few seconds ago he had been furious at her. Now, he seemed almost remorseful and understanding.

"I know how you feel," he said, sincerity in his voice, "But this is just the way things are, we can't change them. What happened, happened. We just have to follow our captain's orders. It's part of joining the crew. You may disagree with some things, but ultimately you have to stay loyal to your captain. What he says goes. And _trust_ me. I don't like some of the things he does or says either. He is my brother after all."

Jack smiled sadly and sighed in resignation.

Edgar gave her one of his crooked smiles and brushed a stray strand of straight, auburn hair behind her ear.

"Okay, then," he said, quietly, "Let's get back to the boat."

Early the next morning, Jack woke up with a start. She blinked into the light that had poured into the dark cabin.

"Rise and shine, girlies!" yelled Matt as he banged a wooden spoon against a metal pan.

Edgar cursed and threw his pillow at Matt.

"Hey!" he cried, as his pan clattered to the floor.

Jack laughed as she sat up in her bed. Norman Hansen, Nick Mavar, and Jake Anderson were already up and moving. She yawned loudly and stretched.

She glanced over at Edgar. He had pulled the covers over his head, trying to escape the invading light. With a smile, she punched his sleeping form.

Edgar groaned in protest and rolled over.

Jack laughed at him and shook her head.

"Alright," she said as she stood up to follow the rest of the boys out on deck, "I'll just tell your big brother that you couldn't get up this morning and decided to stay in bed!"

Edgar sat up quickly at that and glowered sleepily at Jack.

Jack only smirked back at him and walked out into the blinding light. Her heart soared as she realized that twenty-four hours from now, she would be out in the Bering Sea.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!...PLEASE!!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Sig and Jack

**Thanks Syraka for reviewing!!**

Chapter 5: Sig and Jack

Early the next morning, the crew of the Northwestern hurriedly finished up their work and began preparing to leave Dutch Harbor.

Across the dock, the Maverick and the Time Bandit were doing the same thing. The crews rushed about, carrying supplies and tying down pots.

Jack leaned over the side of the Northwestern to check one of the ties, when she saw Blake out of the corner of her eye. He had just jumped off the Maverick and was looking over at her. He smiled and gave her a slight wave.

Jack raised her hand to return the greeting, but froze suddenly. Captain Rick Quashnick glowered at Blake from the Maverick's helm.

"Blake!" he shouted, angrily.

Blake started in surprise and swallowed, trying to hide his sudden fear.

"Yeah, Rick?" he called out, hesitantly.

"We're leaving!"

Blake glanced back at Jack before he turned and walked back onto the boat. Jack watched as Rick shook his head in disgust and began speaking angrily into the walkie-talkie device.

"Jack!"

Jack jumped and whirled around in surprise, eyes wide with guilt and panic.

"Whoa, easy there!" said Matt, good-naturedly, "We're heading out…and Sig wanted to have a word with you…"

Jack swallowed nervously as she climbed the stairs up to the captain's quarters. She knocked lightly on the door.

"Sig?" she asked, "You wanted to see me?"

Sig Hansen glanced back at Jack and nodded to the co-captain's chair.

"Yeah, have a seat."

Jack hesitated for a second, but obeyed. She could tell by the look in his eyes and by his body language that he was upset. She did not have to guess why.

"I hear you and Blake have been running into each other a lot lately," said Sig, "What's that all about?"

Jack glanced away, trying to hold down the feelings of resentment and anger that boiled inside her. Sig, however, could tell she was not happy.

"We were just talking," muttered Jack, feeling like a broken record. How many times was she going to have to justify her actions to these guys?

"You know the rules," retorted Sig, "I explained them to you the day we met at the Elbow Room. Edgar's explained them to you at least twice already. Whatever feelings you have about Blake cannot be expressed while you work for me."

Jack gritted her teeth and looked away, angrily.

"If you want him that bad, go work for the Maverick," snapped Sig.

Jack's gaze flew to Sig's in astonishment.

"I would _never_ work for them!" she exclaimed, slightly hurt that he would even suggest such a thing, "I work for the Northwestern and I'm proud of that. But Blake…"

"Blake _works_ for the Maverick, Jack!" interrupted Sig.

"But Blake's not like the rest of them!" she protested, "He's not a jerk. He's a good guy."

Sig sighed and shook his head.

"You know the rules and now you know what will happen if you continue to disobey them," said Sig, giving her a hard glare, "One more time, and you're gone."

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	6. Chapter 6

I forgot to post a disclaimer with this story and apparently there's been a little confusion so I'll try and clear things up…

**I forgot to post a disclaimer with this story and apparently there's been a little confusion so I'll try and clear things up…**

**DISCLAIMER: The people in this story (other than Jack Harper) are real people. The story I have created in no way should reflect them in any negative way whatsoever. The rivalry is not real…it's only a part of the story I made up. Also, I have not chosen the Maverick and the Time Bandit to be the "bad guys" because I don't like them, if anything it is quite the opposite. I chose them to have major roles in this story because I like them that much! I have deep respect for these men and what they do.**

**If you have any questions about this please feel free to drop me a line! If any part of this story ends up being based on an actual event, I'll specify in another disclaimer before the chapter. Thanks!!**

Chapter 6: Leaving Dutch Harbor

"Let's go!" yelled Sig over the intercom system.

Jake Anderson and Nick Mavar were talking on the dock when they heard Sig call out. They turned and quickly climbed onto the boat. A mere two minutes later, the Northwestern began to pull away from the dock.

The Maverick had already pulled away and was several yards out. The Time Bandit was right behind them as well.

The Cornelia Marie sat right behind the Northwestern at the docks. Captain Phil Harris gave them a wave as he climbed up into the wheelhouse of his own boat.

Jack glanced around excitedly as the boats began to start up and pull away from the dock. She leaned over the railing to look out in front of the boat. She saw the Maverick further ahead, making a bee-line for the channel that led out into the Bering Sea.

"Whatcha doin' Greenhorn?" asked Edgar as he strolled over to her.

Jack glanced back and flashed him an excited smile.

"Just watching the other boats."

"You want a better view?"

Jack gave him a curious look, but nodded enthusiastically.

"Follow me," he said as he suddenly leapt over the railing and began to climb along the side of the boat.

Jack's eyes widened with bewilderment as she watched him inch his way to the front of the boat.

"Are you crazy?" she called out, leaning over the rail.

Edgar smirked, "You ain't seen nothin' yet! Now come on! Just hang on to the side, you'll be fine!"

Jack hesitated for a second, but took a deep breath and climbed over the railing. She pressed herself against the side of the boat and clung onto the handles for dear life. She wondered briefly what had possessed her to do this and she considered going back. But then she realized she had to prove herself to these guys and she was willing to do whatever it took to do so. She gritted her teeth as she glanced down at the swiftly moving water beneath her feet, and then began to make her way to the front of the boat.

She glanced up to see Edgar climb over the railing at the front of the boat. He turned around and called out to her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah…I'm okay," said Jack, shakily.

"You're almost there! Come on, I'll help you over!"

Jack made it to the front of the boat. Edgar reached over and helped lift her over the railing.

"Thanks," said Jack, in a breathless whisper.

"No problem," said Edgar as he turned to look out in front of them.

The Maverick was still ahead with the Time Bandit close behind. The Cornelia Marie was behind them and to the side he saw the Wizard and the Farwest Leader.

Jack walked over to the very front of the boat and gazed out in front of her. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the wind and the sound of the waves take over her senses. She felt as if the Bering Sea was actually calling out to her, beckoning her to come out to it. She felt so…free. A feeling she had not felt in a long time. Not since her parents had died, not since she lost her old job, not since she moved to Alaska…

"Pretty nice view, huh?" asked Edgar as he leaned on the rail beside of her, jolting her from her reverie.

"Yeah, it is," agreed Jack.

Edgar turned to look up at the wheelhouse. Sig nodded briefly at him and turned his gaze back to the water. Edgar glanced out at the Maverick and the Time Bandit, a thoughtful and almost scheming look in his eyes. He glanced back up at Sig and pointed out at the two boats in front of them. Sig gave him a questioning look, but soon realized what he was trying to say. He smiled and shook his head.

Jack glanced back and forth between them, confusion in her eyes.

"Watch this," muttered Edgar, amusement and excitement on his face as he gazed out at the Maverick and the Time Bandit.

Suddenly, Jack felt the boat pick up speed. Soon the wind whipped wildly around them as the Northwestern sped towards the two boats.

"What in the world?" yelled Jack, over the wind.

"We're gonna try and beat them out!" called Edgar.

A smile of amusement crossed Jack's face as she clung to the railing. The boat continued to pick up speed. Suddenly, a movement out of the corner of her right eye caught Jack's attention.

The Cornelia Marie was pulling up alongside them. Edgar whooped in excitement.

"They're going to try and beat them out too!" he yelled, over the roar of the wind.

Soon, the two boats pulled up alongside the Maverick and the Time Bandit. As they raced for the channel, the Maverick and Time Bandit tried to pick up speed as well.

The boats flew out the channel with the Northwestern and the Cornelia Marie just ahead of the other two boats.

Edgar and Jack cried out victoriously as they pulled out into the Bering Sea.

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone

**Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone!!**

**Sorry it's been a while since I updated…school's been pretty crazy lately…**

**Just FYI, in an earlier chapter I said it was opilio season, but it's actually going to be Alaskan king crab season for now. Since king crab is in November and Opilio is in January, it would make more sense for this story to start with King Crab first…you'll understand later on, I promise!! **

Chapter 7: The Coming Storm

"Let 'er go!" said Sig from the wheelhouse.

Edgar pushed a button and the first pot of the king crab season slid off the launcher and into the Bering Sea.

Matt let out a whoop of excitement as he tossed the buoys over the railing. A wave came up at the same time and splashed Matt in the face as he leaned over. He cried out in surprise and stepped back.

Jack laughed from where she stood, cutting the bait for the next pot. Matt turned and stuck out his tongue at her.

"Hey, greenhorn!" called Jake from the stack of pots, "Where's that bait."

Jack narrowed her eyes in mock anger at him. Just a few months ago, Jake had been the Northwestern greenhorn. He was rather pleased that he was no longer at the bottom of the totem pole.

"I'm coming!" shouted Jack over the roar of the ocean.

She ran over and slid up inside the next pot that sat on the launcher. She hooked the bait and slithered quickly back out of the pot.

"You have to admit it," said Matt, murmuring to Edgar, "She's pretty good."

"Don't tell _her_ that," sneered Edgar, "We don't need her getting all cocky."

Nick Mavar snickered in agreement and went to help Edgar get the next pot onto the launcher.

They continued launching pots over the next several hours. It was grueling work, but Jack knew better than to start complaining. If she was going to prove her worth to these guys, complaining was the wrong way to go. And after all, this was only the beginning.

As they prepared to launch the last couple pots, they began to realize that the wind was picking up speed. Spray was hitting them hard and began to swirl in little tornado-like funnels on the deck.

Jack pulled her auburn hair into a tight ponytail as the wind began to intensify. She glanced around and realized the seas were getting choppier too.

"Hey guys?" said Sig over the intercom, "There's a gale warning for our area. Seas may reach over thirty feet. There's some kind of storm system moving through. Let's hurry and get those last pots off the deck and get inside."

Jack glanced at Edgar and saw his jaw tighten and his eyes darken. He knew that his big brother never warned the crew about things like this unless it was serious. He glanced at Jack and they made eye-contact. They shared a look of uncertainty and fear.

"Let's go guys!" yelled Matt from the railing.

Edgar and Jack snapped out of their stare and turned to help Matt.

"We need more bait!" cried Jake.

Jack made a mad dash over to the bait and began to cut some up. Edgar ran over to the dwindling pot stack and began untying the pots.

Nick and Jake ran to the launcher as the pot began to swing wildly towards the launcher. After several long minutes, the last pot finally went over the rail.

Just then, a loud, long beeping noise pierced the air. Jack felt herself freeze with dread. She knew that Sig was seeing something dangerous and was desperately trying to warn the crew before it was too late.

She whirled around just in time to see a huge rogue wave bearing down on them.

"Get inside!" screamed Matt as he began ushering them towards the door.

Jack turned to follow them but suddenly realized that Edgar was not with them. She turned back around and saw that he was trying to tie down a loose rope on the other side of the deck.

She opened her mouth to call out to him, but it was too late. The colossal wave crashed down onto the deck as though it was swallowing it whole. The deck seemed to have disappeared in front of her eyes. All she could see was water.

"Edgar!" she cried out, beginning to panic.

Matt grabbed her arm and began dragging her to the door.

"You have to get inside!"

Jack pulled herself out of his grasp and scanned the area, looking for Edgar. The water was receding and she could see the deck, but there was no sign of Edgar.

As the last of the water receded a feeling of absolute dread filled Jack. The deck was completely empty…Edgar was gone.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**I have a question for you guys: What are the average numbers of crab per pot for King Crab and Opilio?? If anyone could give me an idea that'd be great. Like what's considered VERY good and what's considered VERY bad. I'll need to know for when they start pulling up the pots later on.**

**Thanks!! **


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!! I REALLY appreciate your comments and feedback!! Hope you enjoy this chapter!!**

**DISCLAIMER: Another side-note…most of the guys from Deadliest Catch are happily married, so keep in mind that this is fiction and any relationships that may or may not develop in no way reflect the men's personal lives. Just FYI…**

Chapter 8: Man Overboard! 

"Edgar!" screamed Jack as a cold chill seemed to grip her heart.

Suddenly, a cry of panic caught her attention. It was coming from the starboard side of the boat, and it sounded like Edgar. She whirled around and saw a hand gripping the rail. Her heart pounded wildly as she ran across the heaving deck. A massive wave swamped the boat deck again, causing her to slam into the rail hard. She grunted in pain, but edged her way over to where Edgar was hanging on.

Just as his fingers began to slide off the rail, Jack leaned over quickly and grabbed his wrist. She brought her other arm over the rail and grabbed slightly further down his arm and hung on tight. His weight combined with her weight over the rail, nearly pulled her over. She screamed in fear, but refused to let go of her hold on his arm. Their eyes locked and a look of horror and desperation passed between them.

Suddenly, Jack began to feel Edgar's arm slipping from her grasp.

"No!" she cried out, panic overwhelming her as his fingers began to slide out of her hands.

Just then, Matt appeared beside of her and reached out for Edgar's other arm. Edgar grasped his hand and together, Matt and Jack pulled him back over the rail.

Edgar nearly collapsed with shock and relief the instant his feet hit the deck. Matt and Jack draped one of his arms over each of their shoulders and helped lead him towards the door. The waves crashed wildly over the deck and the boat pitched violently. The wind whipped their rain gear and shot ocean spray into their eyes, nearly blinding them.

Together, they stumbled across the heaving boat, dodging the waves, and made it to the shelter below the deck. The second they closed the door behind them, they heard Sig screaming into the intercom.

"Where's Edgar?!" he shouted from the wheelhouse, voice tense with fear, "Is he okay?!"

Jake was the first to see the three walk into the galley. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Edgar's terrified face. Edgar was always the 'tough guy' of the Northwestern. He was the one who had whipped Jake into shape when he was a greenhorn. Seeing him look so distraught unnerved him. He ran over to the intercom and began talking to Sig.

"Yeah, yeah he's okay!" he said, glancing over his shoulder, "Why? What happened?"

Sig sighed in relief, "He went overboard…or almost did."

Jake stood in shock and glanced back at Edgar. Jake and Nick had been the first two to run inside. They had not seen what had unfolded right behind them.

Matt helped Edgar get out of his now-soaking-wet clothes and into some dry ones. Jack stayed near the corner beside the door, eyes glazed over in shock. While Matt and Jake tended to Edgar, Nick walked over to Jack.

"You alright?" he asked, touching her arm lightly.

Jack jerked back in surprise, then shook her head to clear her thoughts. She felt like she was emerging from a deep fog.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…yeah, I'm fine," she muttered.

Edgar was still shaking with cold and fear. While Matt and Jake fussed over him, trying to get him warm and calmed down, he gazed at Jack. He pushed passed the two deckhands and moved Nick aside as he made his way toward Jack.

He paused when he finally stood in front of her and gave her a look of genuine gratitude.

"Thank you," he said, finally.

Jack, overcome with emotion, leaned into Edgar and gave him a hug. With a shudder, she began to cry. The realization that Edgar had almost died out on the deck before her very eyes hit her like a punch in the stomach.

Edgar was taken back. From what he could tell so far about Jack, she was not a very emotional person. She was tough, just like the other deckhands. He had not expected her to break down like this.

After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"Its okay, Jack," he said, soothingly, "I'm okay…everything's going to be okay."

Jack pulled away suddenly and wiped her eyes. She was ashamed at her lack of control over her emotions. But when she looked back up at Edgar, all she saw was true compassion and concern reflected in his hazel eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her throat. The feeling surprised her and scared her.

Just then, Sig radioed back in to the crew.

"How's he doing?" he asked, voice still tight with worry.

Jack was almost glad for the distraction and moved to answer him over the intercom.

"He's fine…everything's going to be okay."

But deep down, Jack was not so sure that that was true. The feeling that had welled in her chest as she gazed into Edgar's eyes and the horrifying fear she felt when she thought about how she almost lost him, alarmed her.

How could she feel this way about Edgar when she felt the same way about Blake Painter?

**To Be Continued…**

**I have another question for you guys:**** What do they call the intercom thing they use on the boat? The thing Sig holds and pushes a button and talks into?? I know they have a radio to talk to other boats, but I do not know the official name for the actual device they talk into. **

**I appreciate everyone's input, advice, and answers to my many questions!! I'm not afraid to admit that I don't know everything about Deadliest Catch and that I need some help now and then! And you all are so nice to help me out!!**

**YOU ALL ROCK!! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**OH! By the way…how did you all like the show last night?! If you want to discuss it, send me a message!!**


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you everyone who reviewed

**Thank you everyone who reviewed!! I can't tell you how much your support means! It keeps me writing!!**

**I know this is an early update for me, but I realized that I'm going to be gone all weekend and next week is kind of busy too. So I figured I'd go ahead and write today in case I don't get a chance later on…**

**Disclaimer: I LOVE every single guy on Deadliest Catch. I honestly do not hate Blake…I'm just using him as a sort of "villain" for the story. He's a great guy and I wish he and his crew were on the show this season!!**

Chapter 9: The First String

As the storm raged on, the crew of the Northwestern stayed below deck. Edgar and Jack were sitting beside each other behind the galley table.

With a sigh, Jack leaned her head on Edgar's shoulder and closed her tired eyes. Edgar smiled faintly and gazed down at her. He was just beginning to realize that he had feelings for this girl. He suddenly felt a pang of jealousy as he thought about Blake Painter. He grimaced and shifted slightly in his seat. He could not understand why she liked that arrogant, self-absorbed jerk.

Suddenly, the buzzer sounded, jerking Edgar from his reverie and jolting Jack awake.

"Up and at 'em!" called Sig over the radio, "We're at the first string!"

Matt, Jake, Norman, and Nick slowly emerged from the other room. They sauntered into the galley and sleepily grabbed a quick cup of coffee before heading out onto the deck.

Jack stretched and followed Edgar out onto the rolling deck. They were just pulling out of the storm and the waves still sloshed over the rails. Jack shivered involuntarily and shot Edgar a nervous look.

Edgar finished putting on his rain gear and walked over to her.

"It's okay," he murmured, comfortingly, "I'll be more careful this time…I promise."

He flashed her one of his charming and crooked smiles before he headed over to the rail to throw the hook.

Soon, the first pot began to emerge from the water. Matt and Norman were leaning over the rail and began to shout of joy.

"Yeah, baby!" Matt yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

Jack ran over to him and leaned over the rail. The pot was literally covered in crab both inside _and_ out. While the crew cheered, Jake and Jack began plucking the crabs off the sides and top of the pot.

"There's ten of 'em hangin' on the pot!" shouted Jake with a laugh.

They then opened the crab pot door as Edgar lifted it up with the hydraulics. They shook out the massive amount of crab onto the table and began to sort and count them.

"Seventy-nine!" exclaimed Jack in surprise.

Norman ran over and pushed a button near the front of the boat. He leaned over and spoke into the intercom.

"That's seventy-nine, Sig!" he said, happily.

"Are you kiddin' me!?" shouted Sig in disbelief, "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about!"

The crew continued pulling up the string. The pots averaged at about eighty crab per pot. The crew was in high spirits as they pulled up alongside the last pot.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from the block and the rope stopped coiling.

"What the heck?" muttered Matt as he and Edgar ran over to the block.

A pole had been placed over the rope to keep it from going through the block.

"Is that a prank?" called Nick, irritably, from the sorting table.

"Looks like it," replied Edgar, "We'll need the hook to pull it up!"

Jack sneered in annoyance. Although the fishing was great, it had been a very long day and she was not used to the strenuous work yet. All she wanted to do was go inside and sleep. With a sigh, she moved to help Jake and Norman wrestle the pot onto the block. The pot was empty except for a water-tight box and a jacket hanging beside the bait.

"Who did it?" asked Sig over the intercom.

Jack slid inside the pot. She grabbed the box and tossed it out onto the deck. Then she reached for the jacket and slithered back out of the pot.

Matt frowned as he inspected the box, trying to figure out a way to open it up.

Jack flipped the jacket over and froze in horror.

It belonged to the Maverick.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**(You'll find out what's in the black box next chapter!!)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Box

**Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone!! **

**I found some free time today so I figured I'd go ahead and update in case I don't get the chance later in the week…**

Chapter 10: The Box

The look of horror on Jack's face as she stared at the jacket told Edgar everything he needed to know. His face contorted with anger as he grabbed the box out of Matt's hands. He pulled it open and the lid came off with a loud snap. He reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It had Jack's name on it in Blake's handwriting. Edgar sneered and tossed it to her.

"I think that's for you," he said angrily as he turned and walked away.

Jack slowly unfolded the paper while Matt, Nick, Jake, and Norman watched curiously.

-Jack,

Just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you. I'll see you in Dutch Harbor in a couple weeks.

-B.P.

Jack quickly folded the paper back up and looked over at the block where Edgar was standing. He gave her a look that was full of anger and resentment.

She tried to give him an apologetic look, but he turned and stalked down below deck.

"Your boyfriend wrote you a love-note or something?" asked Matt.

Jack shot him a look.

"He's not my boyfriend," she mumbled, knowing how lame she sounded.

Norman shook his head sadly and turned to follow Edgar. Nick and Jake exchanged a glance and went back to tying down the last pot.

Matt gave Jack a sympathetic look and nodded toward the railing. Jack followed him and leaned on the rail with a sigh.

"So," said Matt after a moment, "Who do you like more?"

Jack's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you talking about?"

Matt only smiled and shook his head.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Edgar? I know you like him…at least just a little. And I think the rest of the crew knows too."

Jack did not reply for a moment. She turned to look out over the Bering Sea. The waves had gone down during the night and the sun was just rising, casting an orange glow over the water.

"You think he likes _me_?" she asked, quietly.

Matt shrugged, "I think so. I mean, I've know the guy since eighth grade. I can tell when he likes a girl. Of course those looks he gives you kind of gives it away too. Norman and  
I've noticed that he's been a lot quieter lately. And he stares after you like a sad puppy-dog. I think he's a little jealous of Blake."

"I've never seen him look at me like that."

"That's because you're too focused on Blake Painter to realize what's right in front of you."

Jack glanced away again, suddenly feeling ashamed at her disloyalty to her crew. Although she still did not fully understand the reasons for continuing the rivalry, she also knew that by hanging out with and liking Blake, she was not being completely loyal to the Northwestern. And that really bothered her.

Matt put a hand on Jack's shoulder and gave her an understanding look.

"Come on," he murmured, "Let's go get some rest. Sig'll have us out here dumping and hauling pots before you know it."

Jack smiled at him half-heartedly and followed him below deck.

As she lay down on her bunk, she realized how confused and conflicted she really was. With a sigh she closed her eyes and forced these thoughts to the back of her mind. She needed sleep more than anything else, because tomorrow things were only going to get worse. There was another storm raging on the Bering Sea and the Northwestern was heading right for it.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks everyone for reading/reviewing

**Thanks everyone for reading/reviewing!**

**For anyone who hasn't heard yet, there is a D.C. forum on this site now! Check it out when you get the chance!**

**And I wrote a one-shot fan fic called A Day on the Bering Sea….**

**Found some free time today so I decided to go ahead and update a little earlier than normal…enjoy!**

Chapter 11: Rogue Wave

It seemed like only a couple of minutes had gone by when Jake shook Jack awake.

"What?" snapped Jack, irritably.

"Come _on_!" urged Jake, "We gotta pull two strings in today before that storm hits us!"

Jack narrowed her eyes at Jake, but sat up and stretched briefly before following him out onto the deck. As she gazed out on the water she saw the first buoy out on the horizon. The sun was setting and before long they would have to rely on the deck lights to see. The ocean was up to fifteen foot swells. According to the weather forecast, it could reach up to forty foot swells that night.

Jack shuddered at the thought. Just a couple of days ago, another storm system had moved through the crab grounds. That storm nearly wiped Edgar off the boat. Thinking about Edgar made something tighten in Jack's chest. She was not sure whether it was apprehension…or something else.

"Alright, show time!" yelled Nick, standing near the block.

Jack shook her head to clear her thoughts and ran over to help Jake wrestle the pot back onto the launcher. As the pot broke the surface of the water, they leaned over the rail, trying to see if they had caught a decent amount of crab.

Jake suddenly cursed angrily and slammed his fist into the rail. Jack's heart plummeted as they dumped the pitiful amount of crab onto the table.

Edgar moved to help them sort the crab. He exchanged an uneasy glance with Jack as he tossed two of the crab into the holding tank.

"How many?" called Sig as he leaned over the rail outside the wheelhouse.

"Ten!" shouted Nick.

Sig cursed angrily and stalked back into the wheelhouse.

They continued pulling up the string throughout that evening. All in all there was an average of only eight crab per pot. By the time the Northwestern crew had hauled the last pot, the deck was beginning to roll and the wind whipped sea spray into their eyes. The waves slowly began to crash onto the deck, increasing in size and speed.

"I want everyone below deck until we reach the next string!" ordered Sig over the intercom.

The tired, beaten, and frustrated crew had no problem obeying that order. They stripped off their rain gear and made a bee-line for their bunks.

By now the boat had begun to rock violently, causing some of them to stumble on their way to the bunks.

Several minutes later, without warning, a massive rogue wave slammed into the side of the Northwestern. The boat careened wildly on its side as wave after wave pummeled it.

Sig had been thrown from the captain's chair and landed on the other side of the wheelhouse. He struggled to get up and climb over to the controls.

Below deck, the crew had been thrown from their bunks. They shouted and cried out in fear and surprise.

After several tense moments, the boat finally righted itself. Sig reached up as he felt a trickle of blood run down his face. He had hit his head on something when he fell. A jagged cut ran across his eyebrow. He cursed as he grabbed the radio and began calling out to his crew.

"Is everyone okay!?" he yelled.

Edgar stumbled over to the radio and picked it up.

"I…I don't know, hang on!" he called as he turned to take a quick head-count.

He felt himself begin to panic when he realized they were one short.

"We're missing someone!" he yelled.

The crew began to glance around, trying to figure out who was not there.

Then Edgar felt his stomach flip over and his breath caught in his throat.

Jack was missing.

"Edgar!?" shouted Sig, growing more afraid for the missing crew member, "Who is it?"

"Its…its Jack," he muttered in shock, "She…she isn't here."

Matt and Jake exchanged horrified glances. They ran over to the rain gear and prepared to go out onto the deck.

"We'll look outside!" yelled Matt into the radio.

"If she was outside then she's off the boat!" shouted Sig, panic rising in his chest.

Edgar's heart raced and he felt like he could not breathe.

"Come on!" shouted Nick, grabbing Edgar's arm, "You, me, and Norman can search inside!"

Edgar nodded numbly and made his way into the galley. Norman and Nick began searching the other rooms on the boat, calling for Jack.

Edgar walked into the galley. It was pitch black and he fumbled for the light switch. He flipped on the lights and began to glance around. He gaped in shock when he saw Jack lying on the floor. Beside of her, one of the cabinets looked like it had been smashed in. With a thrill of fear, Edgar realized that she must have been thrown into the cabinet when the ship went over on its side.

But what scared him even more was the fact that she was not moving. He ran over to her and cradled her head in his hands.

"Jack?" he asked, voice shaky, "Jack…come on, baby."

Jack was completely unconscious. With panic rising in his chest, Edgar began to yell for help…

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you so much for all the reviews

**Thank you so much for all the reviews. It seems like I have about 60 people reading this story (based on the number of hits per chapter). Thanks guys! You all rock!!**

Chapter 12: Heading Home

Jack could not remember a thing. As she stirred in her bunk, she gasped in shock as her head began to throb with pain. Then everything came rushing back to her…

_She had gone down into the galley to grab a quick bite to eat. It had been a long day and she was dead-tired but starving as well. Yawning, she began to look around for something quick to eat before she hit the bunk. She felt the boat lurch slightly, but did not think much of it. Suddenly, she was flying across the galley and then everything went black…_

She glanced around the room, but realized nobody else was in there. She had no clue what time it was or how long she had been knocked out.

Just then, Edgar strode into the room. He froze when he realized she was awake.

"Hey," he said, hesitantly.

"Hi," mumbled Jack, grimacing in pain, "What…what happened?"

"We took a rogue wave last night," said Edgar, "Your head went right into that cabinet in the galley. Guess I was right when I said you had a thick head."

Jack narrowed her eyes at Edgar.

"Ha, ha, very funny," she sneered, "Meanwhile, my head is pounding and I feel like crap."

Edgar glanced away for a moment. Jack suddenly remembered the pranked pot and the note from Blake Painter. Edgar had been acting rather weird ever since. Then she remembered what Matt had told her…about the looks he had given her and the bursts of anger whenever Blake's name was mentioned.

"Are _you_ okay?" asked Jack after a moment of tense silence.

Edgar shrugged, "Yeah. Why?"

Jack gave him a look.

"Don't act dumb…you know why."

Edgar glanced away again.

"I just don't like it, Jack," he mumbled, "He's not that great of a person. Trust me, I would know."

Jack gave him a curious stare.

"How?"

"How what?"

"How would you know?"

Edgar sighed, "We used to be friends too…before he joined the Maverick. We used to hang out and party together. He would pick up girls all the time. He'd ask them out, do what he wanted with them, then dropped them. He uses women…that's just how he is. It never really bothered me that much because I didn't know any of those girls. But I know _you_. And I really don't want anything like that to happen to you."

Edgar swallowed nervously and looked down at his hands.

Jack was quiet for a moment, trying to take it all in.

"Edgar?!" called Nick, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?!" yelled Edgar.

"You comin' back or what?!"

"I gotta go," said Edgar, somewhat regretfully, "I'll check on you later, okay?"

"Wait!" called Jack as Edgar walked to the door, "I'm coming too."

Jack tried to stand up out of her bunk, but fell back down as her head began to swim and the room spun around her.

Edgar rushed over to help her.

"Are you insane?!" he exclaimed, "No, you're going to lie down before you get yourself killed."

"But the guys…"

"The guys will be fine."

"Then whose going to do _my_ job?"

"We'll figure it out."

Jack scowled, but finally relented and lay back down on the bunk.

"Just so you know," she muttered, "The second I can stand, I'm going to be back out there."

"Well this is the final string," said Edgar, "Don't worry about it; we'll take care of the rest of the pots."

Jack's eyes grew wide.

"This _is_ the final string, isn't it? In that case…I'll go overdose on Tylenol and I'll be out there in about half an hour."

Edgar shook his head, "There's no point in arguing with you, is there?"

Jack shook her head slowly, "No…no not really."

She smirked as Edgar sneered and turned to leave.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Exactly half an hour later, Jack returned to the deck, much to her fellow crewmates' surprise.

"What are you doin'?" said Matt, "You're crazy!"

"I'm doing my job," answered Jack as she made her way over to her place by the launcher just as another pot surfaced.

Jake just shook his head and gave her a disbelieving glance.

Soon, all the pots had been hauled and the Northwestern's crab tank was stuffed with Alaskan King Crab.

As Sig plotted the course for their long journey back home, the crew went below deck for some much-needed rest.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

As the Northwestern pulled into Dutch Harbor after offloading, Jack scanned the docks for Blake. On the way back she had done some serious thinking. She thought over what Edgar had told her and now she began to doubt whether or not she truly liked Blake, or if it was nothing but initial attraction. Her feelings for Edgar were different. He was upfront. He did not have any secrets and seemed like a good guy.

She sighed as she realized what she was going to have to do.

Edgar walked over to her after the boat was secured to the dock.

"Looking for someone?" he asked, unhappily.

"Yeah, but not for the reasons you're thinking."

Edgar narrowed his eyes but did not respond. Instead he glanced over her shoulder towards the Maverick. He froze when he saw Blake Painter. He was talking to some blonde girl standing beside the Maverick

Then Blake leaned over and kissed her…

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**I know this wasn't the best ending, but I had trouble ending this chapter! I couldn't stop writing!**


	13. Chapter 13

I know this is a VERY quick update, but the end of the school year is coming quickly and the teachers are handing out projects like candy, so I'll take every free minute I can to write because I never really know when I'll get the time to write again

**I know this is a VERY quick update, but the end of the school year is coming quickly and the teachers are handing out projects like candy, so I'll take every free minute I can to write because I never really know when I'll get the time to write again. **

**Thanks again for reviewing and reading this story!!**

Chapter 13: Sarah

"Edgar? What is it?" Jack asked when she saw the look on Edgar's face.

"Uh…nothing, nothing," stammered Edgar, trying desperately to find a way to keep Jack from turning around and seeing Blake with that blonde girl, "Let's, uh, go back into the galley for a second."

Edgar reached out and gently touched her arm to guide her back below deck. Jack, however, knew something was up.

"Why?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Edgar glanced over her shoulder once more, but looked away quickly, hoping she had not noticed.

But she did notice. Jack whirled around to see what Edgar was looking at. She saw Blake running his hand through some blonde girl's hair. She looked away quickly and then slowly turned back to Edgar, tears forming in her eyes.

"I guess you were right after all," she murmured.

Edgar shook his head, "No, Jack…"

But Jack just shook her head in reply and turned to walk back below deck. Edgar watched her walk away and sighed. He always thought that when she finally found out what kind of man Blake was that he would be happy. But now all he felt was sadness for her and a sudden thrill of anger towards Blake. He turned back to gaze at Blake and felt rage boil in his blood. This man caused Jack pain, and he was going to have to pay.

Without a second thought, Edgar climbed off the boat and stalked angrily down the dock towards Blake. He grabbed Blake's shoulder and whirled him around to face him. The blonde girl cried out in surprise and backed away. Edgar grabbed Blake's shirt and shoved him roughly to the ground. The blonde panicked and ran over to help him. Edgar whirled around and pointed at her.

"You stay out of this!" he yelled, anger darkening his eyes.

He turned back around as Blake picked himself up from the dock.

"What do you think you're doing, Edgar?!" exclaimed Blake, looking somewhat hurt.

"I'm giving you what you deserve!" snarled Edgar as he lunged toward Blake.

Blake moved quickly to the side, barely avoiding Edgar's punch.

"Edgar! Knock it off, man!" said Blake, "Can't we just talk?"

"About what?" snarled Edgar, "About how you played Jack like you played all those girls back in high school?"

Blake sneered and shook his head.

"So that's what this is all about?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what this is about!" shouted Edgar, "You can do what you like to whomever you like, Blake…but not Jack. She's off limits. She was _always_ off limits. I should have stopped this before it even started."

"I don't think it's really your place to tell me what I can and can't do," retorted Blake.

"When it comes to Jack or any other member of my crew, yeah it is my place!"

"You sound like you almost really care about her Edgar," said Blake coolly, "You'd better be careful then. You wouldn't want to lose her like you lost Sarah."

Edgar felt like someone had just punched him in is stomach. His looked away and swallowed down the emotion he felt rising up in his chest.

"That…that was a low blow," he said very quietly, "Even for you…that was low."

Blake held up his hands and sneered.

"I'm just saying. That'd be an awful shame…if something happened to her."

Edgar snapped his furious gaze back to Blake.

"Are you threatening her?" he snarled.

Blake shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the blonde.

"Come on, honey," he crooned, "Let's get out of here."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Edgar went back to the Northwestern and climbed down into the galley. Making sure that no one was there, he sank down on the bench behind the table and put his head in his hands. He tried to control his breathing and gritted his teeth, desperately trying to hold back the emotion that seemed to be squeezing his throat.

A few minutes later, Jack walked into the galley. Her eyes were somewhat bloodshot and she looked like she had been crying. Edgar glanced up at her.

Jack froze when she saw the look on Edgar's face. She had never seen him look so upset before.

"Edgar?" she asked, hesitantly, "What's wrong?"

Edgar just shook his head and looked away.

"No, don't give me that," said Jack as she slid in beside of him, "What is it?"

Edgar glanced at her and wondered how much he should tell her. Then he realized that he could trust her. He always could. It was time to be open and honest with her.

"I went down the dock to talk to Blake," he said.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise, but she kept quiet and waited for him to explain.

"We kind of got into a fight. Then he…he said something about Sarah."

Jack gave him a curious look.

"Who's Sarah?" she asked.

Edgar took a deep, steadying breath before he replied.

"She…was my first and technically my only _real _girlfriend. We grew up together…we were best friends in elementary school then dated all through high school. At the end of our senior year, she went over to a friend's house…she never made it."

Edgar had to stop talking for a moment to compose himself.

"She…she was killed by a drunk driver."

Jack sat back in the seat and gaped in shock at Edgar.

"Oh my gosh…Edgar, I'm so sorry," she said quietly.

Edgar shook his head in protest.

"It's just…sometimes I think back to it and wonder if it was my fault. I was supposed to go with her that night to her friend's house but I had to work on the boat. I chose my work over her. And Blake knows that…that's why he brought it back up. He knew how much that would bother me."

Jack's compassionate gazed flickered into one of fury for a brief moment. How dare Blake do something that cruel?

"It's _not_ your fault," she said with a sigh, "You couldn't have known that was going to happen."

Edgar nodded, "Yeah, I know. It's just sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had been the one driving…you know? Maybe I would have been able to swerve away…I don't know…"

Jack put a comforting arm around Edgar and leaned on his shoulder.

Just then, Jake ran into the galley yelling excitedly. Jack glanced over at Edgar, wondering whether or not she should usher Jake back out or not. But Edgar recovered quickly and forced himself to look calm as Jake stormed into the room.

"You guys!" he said as he rushed over to them, oblivious as to what had just happened, "There's a huge party tonight! It's in town at the club and it's for crabbers only! Come on, we gotta get everyone together! It starts in a couple hours!"

Just as quickly as Jake had rushed in, he ran back out shouting for the rest of the crew.

Edgar forced a smile and shook his head.

"That kid will never grow up," he mumbled.

Jack gazed at Edgar for a moment.

"Are you up for this party, or are you going to stay here?"

"Why?"

"Because if you don't want to go, I'll stay here with you."

Edgar smiled and gazed back at her.

"You shouldn't let me ruin your fun, though," he protested.

Jack gave him a look.

"I think you're a little more important than a party. And besides, Blake, the rest of his crew, and their friends on the Time Bandit will probably be there."

Edgar nodded in agreement.

"Then I guess I'd better go to protect you."

Edgar flashed her one of his charming smiles and Jack suddenly felt like she had butterflies in her stomach.

"Yeah…I guess you'd better…"

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	14. Chapter 14

I couldn't wait any longer for this chapter

**I couldn't wait any longer for this chapter! **

**Thanks again for all the reviews!! I love you guys!!**

Chapter 14: The Party

Edgar and Jack walked down the dock to the party late that evening. As they drew closer to the local bar, they could hear the base and see the shadows of people as they poured inside.

The rest of the Northwestern crew had left about half an hour ago. Jack chose to stay behind and wait for Edgar. They paused just outside the door and Jack gave Edgar a quick glance.

"You sure you're okay with this?" she asked, "You know they'll probably be here too."

Edgar shrugged, "Yeah…its fine. The Cornelia Marie boys are supposed to be here too, so we should be alright."

Jack nodded and then opened the door. The lights and the music nearly overwhelmed them as they stepped inside. It was dark, but the strobe lights were shockingly bright as they passed over them. Several people sat around the bar and the tables, talking and drinking. A few more were out on the dance floor with their girlfriends and wives.

Edgar nudged Jack and pointed towards the far side of the room. The rest of the Northwestern crew was sitting at a large wrap-around booth with the crew of the Cornelia Marie. Edgar and Jack made their way towards them, squeezing past the people on the dance floor.

"Hey!" shouted Matt, happily, "It's about time you two showed up!"

"Hey, Edgar," said Phil Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie, "And you must be the infamous Jack Harper."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced briefly over at Sig. He looked away and pretended like he had not heard a thing. Jack smirked. The captains never said good things about their greenhorns because they did not want them to become over-confident. But apparently, Sig had been talking to Phil about her.

"Oh, really?" she asked loudly, hoping that Sig would hear her.

"Yeah…Sig says you're quite the deckhand!" shouted Phil, casting a mischievous glance at Sig.

Sig grimaced and scowled at Phil. Phil laughed heartily and patted Jack on the back.

"Well, anyways, it's a pleasure to meet you. Here, have a seat!"

"Well I was actually going to hit the dance floor," said Jack, glancing over at Edgar.

"Oh, really?" said Phil, "You can dance?"

Jack smirked, "Yes, sir. The only problem is I need someone to dance _with_."

Again, Jack gave Edgar a look. Edgar's eyes widened in surprise.

"_Me_?" he asked, "Oh, no. You aren't getting me out there."

Jack rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, Edgar! It'll be fun!"

Edgar sneered.

Jack narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed his hand. She began to drag him towards the dance floor. Edgar protested and tried to pull away, but before he knew it Jack had wrapped her arms around his neck and began to dance.

Suddenly, Edgar felt like he could not breathe. He forgot about protesting and began to move with the music and with Jack.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" asked Norman from the table.

"What?" asked Sig.

"Oh, I dunno," replied Norman, "Just that Edgar has a thing for Jack."

"What are you talking about?"

"Like you can't see it!" exclaimed Matt, "No one else in this world could get Edgar to dance other than her! Think about it! And the way he's looking at her right now…yeah, he definitely likes her as more than a friend."

Sig narrowed his eyes and looked back over at Edgar and Jack. Sure enough, they seemed to be in their own little world as they danced in the crowd of people. They seemed oblivious to the stares and the other people dancing beside them.

As the night wore on, Edgar suddenly grabbed Jack's hand and led her off the dance floor.

"What are you doing?" asked Jack in surprise.

"Getting out of here!"

Edgar led Jack to the door and they walked back out into the cold, night air.

"It was getting kind of crowded," said Edgar as they walked down towards the dock.

Jack smiled knowingly as they sat down on a bench in front of the dock. They could still hear the music pounding from the building behind them.

Edgar looked over at Jack and was suddenly struck by how beautiful she looked. Her auburn hair hung in waves and she had put on makeup, something she had not been able to do while they were out on the boat. Her eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight that shone off the water and she looked relaxed and happy.

"You look beautiful tonight," Edgar said suddenly.

He found himself wondering where that had come from. He had not really meant to say it out loud, but he could not help himself.

Jack smiled and gazed into his eyes.

"You clean up pretty well yourself," she said, playfully.

Edgar flashed one of his famous half-smiles and Jack felt her stomach do a flip. Blake had never made her feel this way.

"I didn't see the Maverick in there," she commented.

Edgar sneered, "Good riddance."

"I wonder why they didn't come?"

Edgar shrugged.

"Maybe they were too afraid after they saw you deck their captain," said Jack as she elbowed Edgar.

Edgar laughed and realized suddenly that he had not felt this good in a long time. He had never dated after Sarah, mainly because he could never find someone that made him feel like that again. But Jack brought it all back. He felt more like himself than he had in years. He looked back over at her and gazed into her hazel eyes.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he leaned over slowly and kissed her.

Jack felt shockwaves pass through her body as Edgar kissed her. She was too stunned to react at first, but after a moment she kissed him back.

As Edgar pulled away he ran a hand through her hair.

Just then, the Maverick and Time Bandit crews arrived. A sickeningly familiar voice made Jack and Edgar whirl around in surprise. Blake Painter was glaring at them from the walkway.

"Well…what have we here?"

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

**You guys are amazing! I've gotten so many great reviews!! I really appreciate it!**

**It keeps me writing!**

Chapter 15: Season's End

Edgar leapt up from the bench and faced Blake. He gave him a cold, angry stare as Blake sauntered confidently over to them.

"Wow," he said, looking Edgar over, "I'm surprised! How'd you manage to get a girl like _that_?"

"Shut up, Blake!" snapped Jack, "This doesn't concern you."

Blake sneered and shot her a look.

Edgar tensed, ready to fight if he so much as took one step towards Jack. Just then, Blake's crew and the Time Bandit crew walked over to them.

"Is there a problem Blake?" asked Jonathan Hillstrand as he gave Edgar and Jack a disdainful glance.

"I don't know…is there a problem Edgar?" asked Blake with a sarcastic smile.

Edgar glowered at him, but forced himself to remain calm. They were greatly outnumbered and would stand no chance in a fight. Although if Jack had not been there, Edgar knew he would have just started swinging.

"No," he replied, tensely, "Not so long as you stay away from her."

Blake gave Jack another look. He gazed at her from head to toe, taking his sweet time. Jack sneered in disgust and looked away.

"When you're done with _him_," said Blake as he began to back away, "I'm still here."

"No thanks," muttered Jack as Blake and his friends walked away.

As soon as they had gone into the bar where the party was, Jack snarled angrily.

"He's got a lot of nerve talking to us like that!"

"Well, we were slightly outnumbered…I guess that gave him his little boost of confidence."

"He's a coward," retorted Jack, "If he'd been alone he wouldn't have come over here to pick a fight. Like I said earlier, I should have listened to you."

Edgar smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you should've."

Jack narrowed her eyes in mock anger and punched his arm lightly.

"Gee, don't rub it in," she said sarcastically.

Edgar wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug.

"Come on," said Jack, suddenly, "Let's go back inside."

"Are you insane?" exclaimed Edgar, "They just went in there!"

"You wanna make him jealous?" she asked, arching an eyebrow suggestively.

Edgar felt his throat tighten and his stomach flip over. With a crooked smile he nodded.

"Hell yeah I do…"

NWNWNWNWNWNW NWNWNWNWNWNW NWNWNWNWNWNW

The next morning Jack woke up on the Northwestern and began to pack her things. She decided just to spend the night on the boat instead of wasting money on a hotel room. She also realized how much she was going to miss this and wanted to spend her last night in her bunk.

As she climbed out onto the deck with her bag slung over her shoulder, she saw Edgar on the dock talking to the two Harris boys from the Cornelia Marie.

Jack smiled as she remembered what happened the night before…

_Jack and Edgar walked back into the bar and made a bee-line for the dance floor. As they got into the song and began to dance, Jack noticed that Blake was glaring at them from the bar. She just smiled and danced harder. _

_Later that night, Edgar walked her back to the boat. He kissed her good night and tucked her into her bunk…_

Jack threw her bag down onto the dock before she climbed off the boat to join them.

"Hey Jake, hey Josh!" she called as she approached them.

The boys nodded to her as she stood beside Edgar.

"You headin' out?" asked Jake.

"Yeah, I'm going back home," said Jack with regret in her voice.

"Sounds like you want to stay," said Josh in surprise.

"I do. I like it here. It's nice to get away from the rest of the world, you know?"

The boys nodded in agreement.

Jack turned to face Edgar and gave him a hug. Edgar squeezed her tight and murmured in her ear.

"See you in a couple months."

Jack pulled away quickly and gave him a confused look.

"What are you talking about?"

Edgar smirked, "He didn't tell you yet, did he?"

"Who didn't tell me what?"

Just then Sig came out of the wheelhouse and joined them out on the dock.

"What are you all gossiping about?" he asked as he walked over to them.

"You didn't tell her yet?" asked Edgar.

"Oh, yeah!" said Sig, "Almost forgot."

They exchanged knowing looks. Jack narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she glanced back and forth between them.

"What is it? What's going on?"

"You want to come back?" asked Sig.

Jack's eyes began to widen with excitement and surprise.

"Yeah! Of course I do!"

"Even for opilio season? It's the most dangerous."

"Yes, sir!"

Sig nodded, "Alright then. See you in two months."

Sig turned to climb back onto the boat as Jack screamed with excitement.

"I'm coming back!" she cried as she gave Edgar another hug.

Edgar laughed as she bounced around happily.

"Congratulations," said Jake, "Guess we'll see you soon."

"We got to do something to the Maverick next season," said Josh, "Revenge is a beautiful thing!"

Jack laughed, "Count me in!"

She turned to face Edgar.

"So I'll see you soon?" she asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah, you will," replied Edgar as he suddenly leaned over and kissed her.

Jake and Josh exchanged surprised and excited glances.

"Dude, no way!" said Jake, "You two?"

"Wow! That'll tick Blake off!" exclaimed Josh, happily.

Jack laughed as she turned to leave.

"I'll see you boys later!" she called as she walked down the dock.

As Jack drove away from Dutch Harbor and headed towards the airport, her heart soared with the realization that in a couple short months, she would be back on the Northwestern…and with Edgar.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I know the chapter's called Season's END, but it isn't the last chapter of the story, I promise! We got an entire season of opilio crab coming up! **

**I'm thinking the next segment of the story will involve pranks, revenge, maybe a fight or two, a boat may sink, bad weather, drama, etc. **

**Suggestions or ideas are welcome by-the-way! If you have an idea for the story, let me know! I'll give you credit for it!**

**And I wouldn't mind some good prank ideas either…**

**Thanks guys! I love you all!!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Return to Dutch Harbor

**Thanks so much for the reviews again!**

Chapter 16: Return to Dutch Harbor

It was January in Dutch Harbor. The snow was coming down hard as Jack Harper walked down to the dock. All around her, deckhands were scrambling to put the pots and the bait onto their boats. As she neared her boat, the Northwestern, Jack could make out the shapes of Jake Anderson and Matt as they walked along the deck.

"Hey!" she called as she narrowed her eyes against the onslaught of snow.

Jake cried out in surprise and leaned over to grab her bag. Matt came over and held out his hand to help Jack onto the boat.

"How you doin' kiddo?" asked Matt as he ruffled Jack's auburn hair.

Jack laughed as she ducked and tried to get away. Matt had been like an older brother to her during the king crab season. He had given her advice and had been there for her when she needed him.

"I'm great!" she exclaimed as she took her bag from Jake.

"Get yourself settled in," said Jake, "Then hurry up and get back out here! We got work to do!"

Jack walked down below deck, tossed her bag into her room, and made her way to the galley. As she turned the corner she nearly ran right into Edgar.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, eyes bright with surprise and joy at seeing her again.

"Hey, yourself!" said Jack as she smiled and leaned over to hug him.

Edgar held her close and breathed in deeply. Her hair smelled almost like honey and he felt something inside him grow warm as he held her.

Just then, Matt stuck his head in the doorway.

"Would you two stop making out and get back to work?" he asked with an impish grin.

Edgar scowled at him and pretended to try and hit him. Matt laughed as he backed away and went back out on deck.

"Guess we'd better go," said Jack with a slight laugh.

"In a minute," replied Edgar as he turned to face her. He leaned closer to her and kissed her.

"Alright," he said, "_Now_ we can go."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

"Let's go!" yelled Sig as he stuck his head out of the wheelhouse later that afternoon.

"We're leaving?" asked Nick in surprise.

"They're starting the season early!" shouted Sig as the snow continued pouring down, "And I want to drop the first pot!"

"Of course," muttered Matt, good-naturedly, "Sig can't settle for being average. He's gotta be better than everyone else!"

Norman sneered in agreement as the deckhands began to prepare the boat for departure.

Sig slowly guided the boat away from the dock and out into the harbor. Edgar grabbed Jack's arm and nodded towards the front of the boat. Jack smiled as she remembered the last time they had stood out there. They had raced the other boats out of the harbor and had successfully beaten the Maverick. This time, however, they were the first and only boat leaving the dock. Some of the other captains were hesitant about the weather and decided to wait another day before heading out to sea.

Edgar helped Jack over the rail. They stood at the very front of the boat and looked around. The mountains and hills that surrounded Dutch Harbor were covered in snow. The weak sunlight seemed to be intensified by all the white powdery snow that was on the ground.

Edgar stood behind Jack and wrapped his arms around her. Jack smiled and leaned back into him as the boat began to pick up speed.

She felt a quick thrill of fear as she thought about the coming opilio season. It would be even more dangerous, brutal and a lot longer than king crab season. But she relaxed as she realized that she was on a boat full of friends and people that cared about her. Whatever happened, they would face it together. Nothing could stop them…

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I know it's a short one…if I can I'll write more tonight!**


	17. Chapter 17

Found more time to write

**Found more time to write!!**

Chapter 17: Punked

The Northwestern crew waited in nervous anticipation for the official opening of the opilio crab season.

Finally, Sig began to holler over the intercom.

"Let 'er go!"

Norman pushed the button and the first pot of the season slid off the launcher and into the frigid Bering Sea.

The snow was still bearing down hard and the icy cold wind had begun to pick up. The winter storm was approaching them from the North and they were heading North West. The ocean spray froze immediately when it hit the deck and the stacks of pots. Before long, the crew would have to begin hammering and throwing it off the boat.

As Jack made her way back to the baiting area, Matt began to tease Jack.

"Hey, greenhorn!" he chided, "How's bait duty going for you?"

Jack rolled her eyes and shot him an irritated look.

"Aw, what's the matter greenhorn?" asked Matt sarcastically, "Does the little greenhorn want to be a big, strong deckhand like me?"

Jack sneered, "Like _you_?"

Matt made a face at her and stuck his tongue out before he turned around to prepare the next pot.

"Wow, real mature, Matt," laughed Jack, "You're right, I want to be _just_ like you!"

Meanwhile, up in the wheelhouse, Sig was struggling to keep the boat in line to avoid the big waves that would crash onto the deck and onto the crew.

He sighed in frustration as the radio beeped above him.

"Sig, you there? It's Phil."

Sig grabbed the radio.

"Yeah, what is it Phil?"

"You aren't going to believe this."

"What?"

"The Maverick pranked us."

"They what?" exclaimed Sig, "What'd they do?"

"They filled my wheelhouse with rotten cod!" snapped Phil, "I'll never get the stench out of here!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Sig, "Blake's got a lot of guts to prank us after what's happened already."

"Yeah, no joke! Well, anyway, we're leaving the dock now. Looks like the Maverick and the Time Bandit are doing the same."

"Alright, be careful. The storm's coming our way right now. And keep me posted on the Maverick and Time Bandit."

"Will do. Good fishing!"

"Good fishing."

Back on deck, the crew was beginning to worry about the coming storm.

"I heard it's gonna get up to forty-foot swells," muttered Nick darkly.

"Forty!" exclaimed Matt, "Dear Lord, I hope not!"

"Between the freezing spray and the snow, I can't see a thing," complained Jake.

"What are you all whining about?" asked Edgar as he walked over to the block.

"The storm," answered Matt.

"Well whining and crying about it isn't going to stop it. So stop complaining and get to work."

Jack smiled slightly as Matt muttered irritably under his breath.

"Something funny?" he snapped at Jack.

"Chill out, Matt," said Jack.

"I don't take orders from greenhorns!"

"Oh come on!" said Jack, exasperated.

"Do _not_ tell me what to do!"

"What is your problem?"

"Knock it off!" yelled Edgar as he got in Matt's face.

"Why don't you stay out of it?" retorted Matt.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" asked Edgar.

"I'm a little stressed right now, okay?" he snapped.

"Well why don't you talk about it instead of biting everyone's heads off?" suggested Nick.

"My wife's expecting a baby," muttered Matt, "She's due in a week and I'll probably miss it."

Everyone grew quiet for a moment.

"That happened to me a couple years ago, remember?" asked Nick after a while, "I missed it, but I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me when I got home. It'll be okay, Matt. Just hang in there."

Edgar gave his friend a hug.

"Yeah, man," he added, "Shake it off. You can't think about that stuff while you're out here. I know it's hard to do, but focusing on that will only cause you to get hurt or worse. Focus on what you have to do now and when you get home, like Nick said, you'll have a surprise waiting for you."

Matt nodded, "Yeah…thanks."

He turned and gave Jack a guilty glance.

"I guess I owe you an apology," he murmured.

Jack shook her head, "It's alright. I understand."

"Friends?"

"Of course…we always were," said Jack as she smiled and gave him a hug.

"Alright, enough of this mushy stuff," said Jake, making a face.

Just then, Sig's voice interrupted them.

"Hey guys?" he asked over the intercom, "Phil and the Cornelia Marie just got punked by the Maverick."

"What?" exclaimed Jack, angrily.

"You have to be kidding!" added Jake.

"They stuffed a ton of rotten cod into the wheelhouse," said Sig, "Phil's pretty ticked off. I say we pay the Maverick a visit and get a little revenge for the Cornelia Marie. What do you all think?"

"The second they drop a pot, we'll prank it!" yelled Edgar.

The crew yelled in agreement.

"Alright, then," said Sig, "First pot they drop is ours!"

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Sweet Revenge

**I defiantly couldn't wait to post this chapter so I went ahead and wrote it today too…I think you'll like it!**

Chapter 18: Sweet Revenge

"Alright, that's the Maverick's first pot on your starboard bow," said Sig over the intercom.

The crew had finished dropping three strings of pots and had moved into position to pull Blake's first pot of the season.

Jake, Jack, and Matt had been tying bag after bag of flour over the past hour. They had also tied off water balloons full of Northwestern-blue paint. As the rest of the crew pulled the pot on board, they moved in to tie the bags and the balloons onto the line.

"What do we do with their crab?" asked Norman.

"I think it would be a good way to start our season don't you?" asked Edgar, "You know? Maybe line our tanks with Maverick crab?"

Norman smiled and shook his head at his brother.

"If you say so!"

They tossed the crab into the tank while Matt tied on the last bag of flour to the line.

"There!" he exclaimed once it was done, "That ought to do it!"

"It should teach them a lesson to!" added Nick.

"Should we send them a calling card?" asked Jack, "To make sure they know it's from us?"

Suddenly, an evil grin spread over Edgar's face. He went back down below deck and grabbed his official Northwestern jacket with his name embroidered on the front.

"Blake gave us his jacket last season," said Edgar, still with an evil smirk on his face, "Maybe I should return the favor."

Jack could not help but laugh. She knew very well why Edgar was doing this. It was his way of telling Blake to back off his territory.

One Edgar was done attaching the jacket to the inside of the pot, they pushed the button and the pot slid off the launcher and into the Bering Sea.

"Hey guys!" shouted Sig over the intercom, "The Maverick's coming!"

Sure enough, out on the horizon they could see the outline of the Maverick as it made its way back to its first string.

"You guys want to stay and watch the show?" asked Sig.

The crew began to cheer and ran over to the rail to watch.

Sig maneuvered their boat a safe distance away from the pot and waited. As the Maverick approached, Blake got on the radio to talk to Sig.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, snidely.

"Fishing," said Sig, shortly, "And you?"

"Picking up our first pot. Wanna stick around to see all our crab?"

Sig rolled his eyes at Blake's arrogance, but could not suppress a slight laugh as he remembered what would happen when Blake pulled up the pot.

"Sure, why not?" said Sig, attempting to sound friendly.

"Good," replied Blake, sounding surprised at Sig's friendly tone, "If the fishing's good here, maybe you guys could drop some pots and catch something."

Sig gritted his teeth and forced himself to not reply. Instead, he leaned out the wheelhouse window with his binoculars and watched as the Maverick pulled up the pot.

The rope went into the block and began to make its way to the coiler. The Northwestern crew leaned over the rail expectantly.

Suddenly, white powder erupted from the block as a black bag passed through it. The Northwestern crew began to cheer wildly as bag after bag of flour poured all over the unsuspecting Maverick crew.

Then, suddenly, blue paint splattered all over the side of the Maverick. The balloons began going through the coiler and before long, the Maverick's entire starboard side was coated in Northwestern-blue paint.

The Northwestern crew was doubled over with laughter.

Sig quickly got on the radio to call Phil.

"Hey Phil? It's Sig. The Maverick's been punked."

"What? Are you serious? What'd you do?" asked Phil excitedly.

"They got a good dusting of flour and several coats of our blue paint!"

Phil's throaty laugher filled the wheelhouse as he imagined the sight.

"I can't wait to see this!"

"Oh, don't worry you will! It'll take them a long time to paint back over that!"

"Sig I owe you one man! That was amazing!"

"Anytime my good friend, anytime."

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**I posted a one-shots series based on Deadliest Catch…I couldn't remember if I told you guys that or not…**

**And keep an eye out for ****Jane Minatti****'s story! She's writing a Deadliest Catch fan fic too! And from what I've heard so far, it's gonna be good!!**


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks so much for the reviews

**Thanks so much for the reviews!!**

Chapter 19: Life and Death

For the next couple of weeks, the Northwestern continued dropping and lowering pots. They had just reached the half-way point when Sig got a call from the mainland.

"Hey, Matt!" he shouted over the intercom, "Get up here! You got a call!"

Matt's eyes widened with fear and excitement when he realized who the caller must be. He rushed up to the wheelhouse, dropping the crab he had in his hands.

The rest of the crew glanced at one anther, wondering what was going on.

As they hauled the next pot, Matt came racing back to the deck.

"My wife just had her baby!" he cried out, arms flailing excitedly.

The crew began to cheer for Matt. Jack rushed over to give him a hug.

"Congratulations, man!" said Jake.

"Boy or girl?" asked Nick.

"A beautiful baby girl," answered Matt, beaming happily, "She said she's got my eyes."

Edgar smiled as he gave his best friend a hug.

Just then, Sig's voice came over the intercom.

"Guys, I got bad news," he said, solemnly.

Instantly, everyone grew tense. Sig never announced bad news unless it was really serious.

"The Northern Star's EPERB went off a few minutes ago," he said, "The Coast Guard is out looking for them, but so far they can't find the boat. We're five miles from the EPERB signal, so we're going to head over there to help out."

Jack closed her eyes and shook her head in despair. Edgar's jaw tightened and he and Jake exchanged solemn looks.

"Alright," said Edgar, "Let's see what we can do."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNNWNWNWNWNW

As the Northwestern neared the area where the Northern Star's EPERB had gone off, they saw the Cornelia Marie and the Time Bandit nearby. The weather was typical January Bering Sea weather. The seas had fifteen foot swells and freezing spray had been tormenting the crews over the past two weeks. The boats rocked in the waves and the captains tried desperately to keep them under control.

"Have you guys seen anything yet?" asked Sig over the radio.

"No, nothing," replied Jonathan Hillstrand.

"We just saw a bait bucket go by," said Phil Harris, "But other than that, nothing."

Sig gritted his teeth in frustration and continued to gaze out on the horizon. The rest of the Northwestern crew had spread out along the rail, searching the sea for any survivors. Edgar and Jack had gone to the bow to search while Jake, Norman, and Nick stayed near the back of the boat.

The whirling noise of the Coast Guard helicopter as it circled the area gave them a little hope. If there were any survivors, the Coast Guard would find them.

After several tense moments, the Coast Guard came over the radio.

"Attention to all boats in the area. The Coast Guard Cutter has found one body. The helicopter has just located another. Vital conditions of the man in the helicopter are unknown at this time."

Sig cursed and got back on the radio to Phil and Jonathan.

"Did you guys hear that?"

"Yeah," replied Jonathon, sadly, "It's a sad day today."

"We just found a body!" exclaimed Phil, "I think he's alive! He's moving!"

Sig was on instant alert as he gazed over his starboard side to look at the Cornelia Marie. Sure enough, they were hauling in a man out of the ocean. The Northwestern crew was pointing and yelling excitedly as they realized that the man was moving and trying to climb over the rail.

After a few moments, Sig began to yell out over the radio.

"What's his status, Phil?!"

"He's in shock, but he's alive! I don't know how he made it, but he did!"

A few minutes later, the Coast Guard Helicopter began to hover over the Cornelia Marie. They dropped a basket onto the boat and began to hoist the survivor onto the helicopter.

"Attention all boats in the area. This is the U.S. Coast Guard. We have recovered one man in a survival suit from the Fishing Vessel Cornelia Marie. He is in stable condition. We have also recovered two bodies. The other two crewmembers have not been found and are presumed dead."

Sig shook his head in despair as the Coast Guard ended the search. Life was a fragile thing on the Bering Sea. It was easy to forget that fact. Sometimes it took a tragedy to make the others realize how dangerous their jobs really are.

Jack was leaning on Edgar, tears coming down her face as she mourned for the lost crewmen. The rest of the crew was solemn as they gazed out into the water, searching in vain for the last two missing crewmen.

It was a day of life and death for the fleet. It was also a day that would not be easily forgotten. While several people had died that day, one had been saved, and one had been born.

With weary bodies and broken hearts, the Northwestern turned and left to head back to their fishing grounds.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**This was a sad one to write! But I thought it was important to factor in that aside from the drama, there really is a life and death battle out on the Bering Sea everyday. I also wanted to have some slight interaction with Jonathan and Sig to show that they could put aside their feud long enough to band together in an emergency.**

**One more thing, I will be going back to school tomorrow. We had a slight break recently so I had more time to write. I'll probably go back to writing every other day so I can factor in some study time to keep up my grades…just FYI….**

**Thanks again for the reviews! I'll update ASAP!**


	20. Chapter 20

I just realized how booked I am Monday and Tuesday nights, so I don't know if I'll be able to update or not

**I just realized how booked I am Monday and Tuesday nights, so I don't know if I'll be able to update or not. **

**I figured I'd make it up to you all and go ahead and do a bunch of writing tonight. **

**Thanks for all the reviews!!**

Chapter 20: Opilio's End

The crab fleet struggled for the next few weeks. The crab count was low and the weather more brutal than usual.

The Time Bandit had managed to find good crabbing ground and was all ready safe back at Dutch Harbor.

The Cornelia Marie was in route to Dutch Harbor as well.

The Maverick and the Northwestern were still battling the elements.

For the Northwestern, this was their final string. The crew had battled weather, fatigue, and despair after the Northern Star had sunk. There had been one survivor that the Cornelia Marie managed to pull onto their boat. Other than that, the rest of the crew perished and two had never been found.

As the last pot of the season was hauled onto the deck, the crew cheered loudly. It was packed full of opilio crab.

Edgar grabbed the nearest herring from the bait bucket and bit off its head. The rest of the crew gagged in disgust.

"Dude!" shouted Matt, "You're only supposed to do that at the beginning of the season!"

Edgar shrugged as he chewed, "So what? I got a little excited."

Jack shook her head and made a gross face. Edgar suddenly got an evil look in his eye. He spit out the fish and ran over to Jack. He leaned over to kiss her and Jack screamed in protest.

"Ew! No! Edgar!!"

Edgar grabbed the back of her head so she could not get away and gave her a big kiss. The crew laughed and gagged some more as Edgar pulled away. Jack ran to the side of the boat and spit out the nasty fish taste from her mouth. She turned back to Edgar and glared at him.

"You're psychotic!"

"Your point?" asked Edgar with a smirk.

Just then, Sig's voice came over the intercom.

"Alright, you guys get below deck! The weather's going to be rough on our way to offload!"

The crew gladly obeyed and retreated below deck for some much-needed food and sleep.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWWNNWNWNNWNWNWNWNWNW

Two days later, the Northwestern began to pull into Dutch Harbor. They had finished their offload and were more than ready to get home.

As they turned into the channel that led to the safety of the harbor, they noticed the Maverick sliding in beside of them. As the Maverick turned to go into the channel, the crew saw the blue paint splattered all over the starboard side.

Edgar laughed loudly and waved to Blake.

"Hi, Blake!" he called, in mock-friendliness, "How's it going buddy?!"

Blake gave him the finger as he sped the boat up to get passed them.

Sig laughed as the Maverick cut them off. The prank had obviously made them very angry. It would take forever for them to get that paint off and to re-paint it.

Once the Northwestern was safely secured at the dock, Jack felt someone grab her from behind.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she glared at Matt over her shoulder.

Matt just smiled evilly as Edgar, Norman, Nick, and Jake surrounded her.

"Oh…this can't be good," muttered Jack.

Edgar and Matt tied her hands and feet together and then lifted her up off the ground. She screamed in protest as they carried her over to the crane. The tied her securely to the crane and Norman ran over to the hydraulic controls. The crane swung out over the water and rose over twenty feet into the air.

"What the heck!" yelled Jack, "Get me down!"

"I don't think so!" said Nick.

"We gotta go talk to the boss-man first!" said Edgar, "Then we'll come back for you!"

"They did it to me too, Jack!" said Jake, "Now it's your turn!"

"Yeah, just hang-out for awhile," said Matt, "We'll be right back!"

Jack glowered down at them as she watched them all climb into the wheelhouse. Once they were out of sight she looked out around her. From where she was, she could see all the boats that had returned to the harbor. The Time Bandit and the Cornelia Marie were already there. The Cornelia Marie was tied to the dock next to their boat and the Time Bandit was diagonal to them.

Jake and Josh laughed when they saw Jack up on the crane. They waved to her before they got back to work.

The Maverick was being tied down right across from the Northwestern. The blue paint was causing a stir from the other nearby captains. Even from where she was, Jack could tell that the other boat crews were rather amused by the turn of events. The Maverick was definitely not a favorite of the fleet and most of the captains were praising the Northwestern for pulling such an ingenious prank on them. The Maverick and the Northwestern were sworn enemies and now the Maverick was wearing the Northwestern's signature blue paint. It was classic adding of insult to injury.

Just then, the Northwestern crew emerged from the wheelhouse followed by Sig. He laughed as he looked up at Jack hanging on the crane.

"You ready to come down now?" he asked.

Jack nodded as Norman began to guide the crane back to the deck. Edgar and Jake untied Jack and helped her get off.

"Gee, thanks guys," she said sarcastically.

Sig laughed again and turned to face her.

"How'd you like to be a full-share deckhand?" he asked.

Jack's eyes grew wide with astonishment.

"Are…are you serious?" she exclaimed, "Of course! I mean, thank you!"

Sig began to remove the official Northwestern jacket he was wearing. Jack's eyes grew even wider when he handed it to her.

"You've earned it," he said, "Wear it with pride, because now your not just any deckhand…you're a _Northwestern_ deckhand. Welcome to the family."

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Kidnapped

**The idea for this was given to me by ****Jane Minatti****…thanks so much for the kidnapping idea!! Make sure you all read her story! I just did and it's really good! **

**And thank you all for sticking with this story!**

Chapter 21: Kidnapped

The Northwestern crew began to plan a celebration for Jack when they received the news. Fish and Game said that the opilio season was going to be extended for another two weeks. Apparently a majority of the fleet did not meet their quota so it was going to be a first-come-first-served fight to the finish for the rest of the fleet.

Sig decided to leave the next morning for the crab grounds. That way they could still have their celebration and get a good night's rest and some good food.

The crew began to prepare the boat and replenish their supplies that afternoon.

"I'm going to grab a drink from the bar!" called Jack as she climbed off the boat, "Anyone want something while I'm there?"

"A pack of cigarettes?" called Matt.

Jack rolled her eyes.

"Like you don't have enough," she murmured, "Anyone else?"

The rest of the crew shook their heads as they stacked another pot.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few."

As Jack walked into the local bar, she realized how eerily quiet it was. It was nearly deserted. When she turned the corner, she froze. Dread creeped up inside of her.

"Well what do we have here?" asked Jonathan Hillstrand.

The entire crew of the Time Bandit and the Maverick were sitting on the other side of the bar. Jack began to back away to head towards the door when she suddenly bumped into something. She whirled around and gaped in shock when she came face to face with Blake.

"And where do you think you're going?"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Several minutes later, back on the Northwestern, the crew was becoming anxious.

"It sure is taking Jack a long time to grab that drink and those cigs," commented Matt.

Edgar frowned and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah it is," he murmured, "Wonder what's taking her so long?"

"Maybe she's talking to someone?" suggested Jake.

Norman looked up and shared a look with Edgar.

"I sure hope she didn't run into the Maverick or the Time Bandit," he muttered to Edgar.

"Yeah, let's hope not," said Edgar as he gazed out towards the bar, "Let's hope not…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Meanwhile, on the Maverick, Blake and his crew had tied Jack up and put duck tape over her mouth. She grunted as she tried to break away from their hold.

"Now, now," crooned Blake, "This will go much easier for everyone if you stop struggling."

Jack glared daggers at him as she continued to squirm.

One of the deckhands helped Blake get her into a storage closet below deck. They made sure her hands and feet were tied properly and that the duck tape was still holding.

"Make sure it won't come off," instructed Blake, "The last thing we need is for her to start screaming."

"When do we leave the dock?" asked the deckhand.

"We're leaving tonight. My guess is that Sig is leaving tomorrow. They won't miss Jack until late tonight so I want to make sure we're out of here before then."

The deckhand nodded as he closed the door behind them, leaving Jack alone in the cold, damp, and dark room.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

"Well look at that!" exclaimed Nick, "The Maverick's heading out early."

"With the Time Bandit not far behind," added Jake as he pointed across the dock.

"Anyone seen Jack?" asked Edgar as he walked over to the rail.

"Not since earlier today when she said she was going to the bar," answered Matt.

"She's probably talking to the Harris boys," said Jake, "I wouldn't worry too much. Jack's probably just fine…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Jack gradually became used to the dim light and began to look around the room. The door was locked and there was no way she could get to it anyway. The room seemed more like a closet of sorts. There were all kinds of supplies stacked on the shelves around her.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. A four-inch knife was sticking out of one of the shelves about a foot away from where she was sitting. With a quick glance to the door, Jack tried to scoot her way over to the knife. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were tightly bound with thick rope, so it was hard to move.

After several minutes she managed to knock the knife off the lower shelf with her shoulder, and picked it up in her hands. She twisted it around until she felt it scrape against the rough rope around her wrists. She began to slowly drag it repeatedly over the rope…

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

"Where the heck is she?" asked Edgar as he began to pace nervously, "It's nine o'clock. She's been gone for over four hours…something's happened. I know it has."

Matt frowned as he gazed out onto the dock. They had heard nothing from Jack in the past several hours and they were beginning to worry.

"What if she slipped off the dock?" said Edgar, breaking out into a cold sweat, "What if she got hurt somehow? What if the Maverick…"

Edgar stopped pacing.

"The Maverick…" he repeated as he gazed wildly at the rest of his crew.

"They wouldn't have done anything bad to her, would they?" asked Jake, beginning to sound scared, "I mean, yeah, they hate us…but they wouldn't hurt her…would they?"

Norman's face grew serious as he gazed back at Edgar.

"You need to tell Sig. She's been gone way too long. We may have to leave without her."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Jack grimaced as the knife cut her hand again. She felt the stickiness of the blood that had oozed around the rope and covered her hands. The knife had slipped a lot over the past couple hours and had cut her wrists and hands up.

Finally, she felt the rope begin to give way. With a yank, the rope snapped and fell from her wrists. She grabbed a nearby towel and wiped the blood off her hands. Then she grabbed the knife and began to hack away at the rope around her ankles…

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Edgar felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of leaving Jack behind, especially when he had no idea where she was or if she was even okay.

He had talked to Sig about it and Sig just shrugged his shoulders.

"There's only so much we can do," he said, giving his younger brother a sympathetic glance, "We'll inform the authorities and keep our eyes open, but when it comes time to leave, we gotta go."

Edgar looked crestfallen and scared. Sig frowned as he gazed at his little brother.

"You really like that girl, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," murmured Edgar, "I really do. For the first time since Sarah died…I finally feel like myself again…my old self."

Sig nodded, "I've noticed. Don't worry Edgar…we'll find her. I promise…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Once the rope around her ankles had been cut through, Jack leapt up and began to make her way to the door. Her hands and wrists were still bleeding and some cuts would need stitches.

She leaned on the door and strained to hear what was going on.

"Hey guys?" shouted Blake on the intercom, "Let's head below deck for an hour or so before we set these pots, okay?"

Jack heard the crew's footsteps as they made their way down below deck. She waited until she heard Blake do the same before she dared to open the door.

She glanced down the hallway and saw that they had all gone into the galley. With a furtive glance around the corner, Jack realized the stairway that led up to the wheelhouse was out of their line of sight. With hope welling in her chest, Jack ran up the stairs.

She grabbed the radio and called the Coast Guard.

"Hello? This is Jack Harper. I've been kidnapped by the Maverick! I'm a Northwestern deckhand. Please send help!"

"This is the U.S. Coast Guard, we read you loud and clear Ms. Harper."

"Please send help!" repeated Jack desperately, "And hurry!"

Just then, Jack heard footsteps climbing the wheelhouse stairway. Her heart plummeted and her blood felt like it had frozen as Blake turned and saw her.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Whew! That was a long one! Hopefully that'll make up for me not being able to write for a day or two!!**


	22. Chapter 22

Got bored in government class today…

**Got bored in government class today….so I decided to write! Then I found a few minutes to type it all up. **

**So I guess that works! **

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews!! **

Chapter 22: Rescue

Jack froze, too stunned to speak. Her heart pounded in her chest as the radio slipped from her grasp.

Blake gaped openly when he saw the cuts on her hands and wrists. The deeper cuts were bleeding heavily and a thick line was ground into her wrists where the rope had been tied.

"What…what did you do?" exclaimed Blake after a moment.

Jack just stared at him in shock as cold dread crept through her body. She had been caught and the Coast Guard was too far out to help her.

Blake seemed to recover from his shock and started yelling.

"She got out! Someone get up here and help me!"

Jack looked around quickly and saw a pole, which looked like it had once been a broom, sitting near the captain's chair. She grabbed it and swung it out in front of her like a sword. The wild light in her eyes alarmed Blake. He held up his hands and started to slowly approach her.

"Now, just take it easy," he said, calmly, "It's going to be okay. Just stay calm and no one gets hurt, okay?"

Jack smiled, eyes half-crazed with fear and desperation.

"Yeah right!" she sneered, "Take another step and this stick goes into your gut!"

Blake stopped his advance for a moment. Just then, another deckhand rushed up to the wheelhouse.

"Go get the gun!" ordered Blake.

The deckhand nodded and ran back down the stairs.

Jack's eyes flashed with terror for a moment before she turned to glare at Blake again.

"You wouldn't dare," she whispered, trembling.

"Like I said…put down the pole, remain calm, and no one gets hurt."

"You bastard!" snarled Jack as she lunged at Blake.

The pole smacked Blake on the head, knocking him to the floor. Jack made a run for it and flew down the wheelhouse stairs. She ran out the door and was blinded for a moment by the bright afternoon light.

She glanced around the deck of the Maverick. The other deckhands stared at her in shock, unsure of how to react. Jack glared at them for a moment, but whirled around as she heard footsteps behind her.

The deckhand had returned to the wheelhouse and saw Blake knocked out on the floor. He ran out onto the deck, gun in hand, and saw Jack. He raised the gun and cocked it.

"Don't move!" he screamed.

Jack shot him a look of fury and trepidation. She was shaking horribly now. She could not remember feeling this angry or afraid in her whole life.

"You won't shoot me," she said, giving the man a hard glare.

"Wanna bet?" the man retorted as he leveled the gun at Jack's head.

In an instant Jack knew what she would have to do. Her heart raced at the thought and her body seemed to scream at her in protest to the notion.

Just then, an angry and disoriented Blake stumbled out onto the deck.

"Shoot her!" he ordered, seething with rage.

The man turned and gave Blake a look. Blake nodded his encouragement. As the man turned to face Jack, he froze. She was gone.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Back at Dutch Harbor, the Northwestern prepared to leave the dock.

They had neither seen nor heard from Jack since yesterday. Edgar frowned and gazed out over the harbor.

Sig had waited till that afternoon to leave, hoping that Jack would show up. He too had become worried about his greenhorn and decided to call the Coast Guard to see if they knew anything.

"Coast Guard? This is Captain Sig Hansen of the fishing vessel Northwestern," he said into the radio, "We seem to have lost a greenhorn in Dutch Harbor. We've alerted local authorities but it's been nearly twenty-four hours now since we've seen her. Her name is Jack Harper. No change you guys have heard anything is there?"

Sig waited for the Coast Guard to reply. He seriously doubted that they would have any clue as to where Jack was.

"Captain Hansen, this is the U.S. Coast Guard. We have received a cry of distress from the fishing vessel Maverick. Apparently your greenhorn, Jack Harper, was taken against her will onto the boat and out into the Bering Sea. A helicopter has been sent out and should be reaching the boat anytime now to recover her."

Sig sat in his chair, too stunned to speak.

"Wh…what?" he stammered, "You mean she was _kidnapped_?"

"Seems so," replied the Coast Guard operator, "We are unaware of the full situation at this time. Once she has been recovered, we will fly her back to Dutch Harbor in case she needs medical treatment."

"Um, okay," said Sig, still shocked, "Thank you."

Sig stood up numbly from his chair and walked out onto the deck. The crew was preparing to untie the boat from the dock. They stopped, however, when they saw Sig come out on deck. The look on his face stunned them all into silence.

"What?" demanded Edgar, eyes growing wide with fear, "What is it? Its Jack isn't it…what's happened? Where is she?"

"She, um, she was kidnapped by the Maverick," said Sig, unable to look his brother in the eye.

"What?" whispered Jake, "You can't be serious?"

"Apparently she managed to get a call into the Coast Guard," continued Sig, "They've sent a helicopter out to pick her up."

Edgar shook his head in bewilderment. Then, suddenly, a dangerously angry light appeared in his eyes.

"Blake's mine…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

The shock of the freezing cold water took Jack's breath away. She struggled, trying desperately to keep herself from hyperventilating.

She could hear the men on the deck above her. They were shouting but the words seemed to be muted. Jack felt her body begin to go numb. It felt like her muscles were losing their strength. She knew she only had a couple of minutes left before the icy water of the Bering Sea claimed her.

Just then, the sound of a helicopter gave her renewed hope. She looked up and saw the Coast Guard helicopter hovering over her. Another whirling noise caught her attention. She turned her head to look behind her and saw the Maverick begin to move quickly out of the area.

When she glanced up again at the helicopter, she saw a basket being lowered down to her. She grabbed onto it with the little strength she had left and hung on for dear life.

Once inside the helicopter, the Coast Guard began to take off her cold clothes and wrapped warm blankets around her. She was shaking badly from cold and fear.

"She's going to need stitches for these cuts on her hands!" shouted one of the Coast Guard crew members, "They're bleeding badly!"

But Jack could not feel a thing. Her body was almost entirely numb. Even her mind seemed frozen with the shock, fear, and pain she had just gone through. All she could think of was how glad she was to be alive and how much she wanted to curl up in Edgar's comforting arms.

**Please Review!**

**Not sure if I'll have time to update tomorrow. If not, I will on Wednesday!**


	23. Chapter 23

**I can't believe I actually found time to update!!**

**I wrote this one pretty fast, so I hope its okay!**

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews!! You guys are amazing as always!!**

Chapter 23: Reunion 

As the helicopter flew overhead, Edgar and the rest of the Northwestern crew followed its path. It made a bee-line for the Dutch Harbor Hospital.

"We're gonna go pick her up right?" asked Jake, sounding worried.

"Of course we are!" exclaimed Sig, "Everyone pile into my SUV. We'll go get her."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Jack was still shivering with cold and shock as the helicopter landed on the landing pad beside the hospital. She was carried out on a stretcher by several Coast Guard crew members. They rushed her into a room and Jack found herself instantly surrounded by several nurses and two doctors.

"What was her condition when you found her?" ordered the doctor.

"She's stable," replied a Coast Guard crew member, "She's somewhat hypothermic and has several cuts and abrasions on her hands and wrists. Some look like they need stitches."

The doctor nodded curtly in reply and rushed the Coast Guard out of the already-crowded room. Once they left, he turned his full attention to Jack.

"How do you feel?" he asked her as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

"I'm…I'm cold," stammered Jack, "And my hands hurt a little."

"Anything else? Anything serious?"

Jack shook her head as the doctor moved to inspect her hands.

"Hmm," he murmured, "Looks like we will need a few stitches."

Jack shook her head in protest.

"No, I can't," she said, trying to sit up, "I'm a deckhand on the Northwestern! I can't work with stitches in my hands!"

"Well then I'm afraid you'll have to sit this season out."

Jack looked at the man like he had just grown another head.

"Are you insane?" she exclaimed, "No! Use those butterfly bandages!"

The doctor frowned in disapproval.

"That's not the best…"

"Does it look like I care?" shouted Jack, "I want to go crabbing! Just bandage the cuts up and let me get out of here! The Northwestern was supposed to leave a few hours ago. If they're still here then I need to leave _now_!"

"The Northwestern is still here," answered the doctor calmly, "They've been waiting for you. The Coast Guard informed them of the situation."

Jack seemed relieved at those words and lay back down on the hospital bed.

"Alright then," said the doctor, "I guess I can't persuade you to get the stitches?"

"Not a prayer."

The doctor smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

"You crabbers…you're all the same."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Edgar burst through the doors of the hospital and rushed into the lobby. He saw a lady sitting at the reception desk and he ran over to her.

"Mam?" he said, hurriedly, "I'm looking for Jack Harper. The Coast Guard brought her in a few minutes ago."

The rest of the Northwestern crew walked into the waiting room and stood behind Edgar.

"Room 281," said the woman, "The doctor's are almost done then you can see her."

Edgar seemed to ignore the last part of what the woman said. He walked down one of the long hallways and followed the signs that led to Jack's room.

Matt tried to follow him but Sig held out a hand to stop him.

"Give them a minute alone," he said.

Matt frowned but nodded in understanding. The crew sat down in the waiting room, angry and still shocked by what had happened. Sig tried to ease their fears and reminded them that the Coast Guard had said she was okay. But that did not seem to quell the anger that was rising in each of their chests. Blake would have to pay for this and he would have to pay dearly.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Jack watched as the doctor finished bandaging her cuts. By the time he was done the bandages had formed a sort of cast around her lower arm and hand. The doctor wrapped the bandages in a way so that she could still use all her fingers.

Just as he finished showing Jack how to bandage them herself while she was on the boat, Edgar rushed into the room.

"Jack!" he exclaimed in relief, shoulders sagging as the tension fell from them.

"Edgar?" exclaimed Jack in surprise.

Edgar rushed over to her. The doctor turned to leave to give them some privacy.

"Jack, what happened?" asked Edgar as he gazed down at her bandaged hands.

Jack took a deep breath and told him the story. She began when she had been ambushed at the bar and ended with her harrowing escape and plunge into the icy cold Bering Sea. When she had finished, Edgar gazed at her with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"He ordered the man to _shoot_ you?" he said in bewilderment.

"Yeah," muttered Jack, "I think he was pretty ticked off at me for hitting him in the head with that pole. I got away and the deckhand followed me to the rail. I think Blake was afraid that if I got away, I'd tell everyone what happened and they would see the cuts and he'd get in serious trouble."

"And he was willing to kill you to do that?" said Edgar, voice hard with anger.

Jack shrugged, "I don't know…I, it happened so fast I just…don't know."

Jack began to look upset and scared. Edgar purposefully softened his angry gaze and gave her a caring look.

"It's okay," he whispered, "You're okay and that's all that really matters right now."

Jack nodded as a tear fell down her cheek. She had not had time to think about the fact that Blake had indeed tried to get her killed. The realization hit her hard.

Just then, the door opened and the rest of the Northwestern crew slipped into the room.

"Jack?" called Jake as he peered over the other crew members' heads.

He looked upset and worried as he ran over to Jack's bedside.

"I'm okay," assured Jack, "I'm fine, really."

"What happened?" demanded Sig, looking furious.

Jack retold her tale and the crew's eyes widened in alarm.

"We can't let him get away with this!" exclaimed Matt.

"Something has to be done," agreed Norman.

"It will," said Sig coldly, "Mark my words, it will. As soon as the season is over, we're going to settle this one way or the other."

"I'm going aren't I?" asked Jack.

"Are you crazy?" asked Nick, "You need to rest!"

"No I don't!" protested Jack as she started to get out of the bed, "I'm fine. The doctor showed me how to do my bandages while I'm on deck. I even made him give me butterfly bandages instead of stitches so I could work."

Sig smiled and shook his head.

"You never give up, do you?"

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Please make sure you all are reading Jane Minatti's stories!! She just posted her second one and it's really good! Check her profile to link to the stories!!**


	24. Chapter 24

Thanks for reading and reviewing

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! We're actually nearing the end of this story! I'm excited but sad at the same time. I've really enjoyed writing this one! Two more chapters then a rather long epilogue then we're done!**

Chapter 24: Confrontation

The Northwestern crew headed out for the one-week re-opening of the Opilio crab season. They worked none-stop for nearly twenty-four hours a day and managed to nearly fill there holding tanks. They pulled into Dutch Harbor a couple days after off-loading. Several other boats had arrived about the same time including the Time Bandit, Maverick, Cornelia Marie, and the Wizard.

"I'm going to make a run to the bar," said Jack after the boat was tied to the dock, "Anyone need anything?"

"Wow," said Matt, "I'm having déjà vu, and it's not good déjà vu either. The last time you said that you were kidnapped, remember?"

"How could I forget?" mumbled Jack as she held up her bandaged wrists.

The bandages had not gotten in the way as much as she thought they would have. She re-bandaged her wrists every chance she got and kept them dry by wearing two or three pairs of gloves while she was working.

"I'll be careful, don't worry!" she called as she walked down the dock.

"Don't worry?" exclaimed Jake, "Is she crazy? We aren't going to let her go alone are we?"

"Of course not," said Edgar, "I'm going to go with her as soon as I tie off this last rope."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

As Jack walked into the bar, she had flashbacks to what had happened the last time she had been in here. She suddenly found herself in the same situation. The bar seemed to be deserted and it was eerily quiet. She forced herself not to be paranoid. Everyone had just gotten back to the dock so chances were that no one else had had time to come down to the bar yet.

She walked across the room and entered a smaller room that had shelves of supplies on it. She picked up a few packs of cigarettes for the boys back on the Northwestern and grabbed a soda for herself.

"Well what do ya know?"

Jack felt instant panic well up inside her at the sound of that voice. She whirled around, dropping her things onto the floor, and came face to face with Blake Painter.

"Seems like you don't learn from your mistakes," he crooned with a very confident smile.

Jack glanced around desperately and realized that she was cornered. There was no one else in the building and Blake was blocking her way to the exit.

"Go away," she said, voice trembling, "Just leave me alone!"

"Do you have any idea what you've done to me?" snarled Blake, suddenly becoming very angry.

"Done to _you_?" said Jack, trying to sound unafraid, "What about what you did to _me_? You kidnapped me, tied me up in a closet, and then ordered one of your men to _shoot_ me! You would have killed me if I didn't jump!"

Jack felt her throat tighten with emotion. This man she had once cared for had nearly killed her.

"I wasn't trying to _kill_ you," rationalized Blake, "I was trying to keep you from getting away."

"By _shooting_ me!" screamed Jack in disbelief, "Do you honestly think that I'm that stupid!?"

"Calm down," said Blake as he took a step towards her.

"Do _not ever_ tell me what to do!" she yelled, furiously, "Get out! Stay away from me!"

Blake tried to lunge at her but suddenly felt himself fly wildly to the side. He landed hard on the floor and whirled around to see who had hit him.

Edgar stood over Blake, eyes alight with fury.

Jack sighed with relief as Edgar glanced quickly over at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, voice edgy.

"Yeah," murmured Jack, "I'm okay."

Blake stood up quickly and tried to overtake Edgar. Edgar moved nimbly to the side and nearly close-lined Blake. Soon they began to circle one another. Jack looked on nervously as the two men watched and waited for the other to show a sign of weakness or vulnerability.

Suddenly the deathly-silent room exploded with noise as the men rushed each other. Punches began to fly and the sound of fists hitting flesh filled the room. Edgar managed to get a good punch in on Blake and knocked him squarely in the jaw. Blake cried out in pain and hesitated for a moment. The moment was just long enough for Edgar. He grabbed Blake by the collar and threw him onto the bar. He snarled into his face angrily.

"You _ever_ touch Jack again, and you'll wish you were never born!"

Blake snickered and writhed out of Edgar's grasp. He tried to kick Edgar in the stomach, but Edgar managed to dodge the blow and countered with one of his own. As the fight continued, Edgar saw a beer bottle sitting on the bar a few feet away. He began to slowly back away from Blake and edged closer and closer to the bottle. Blake smiled victoriously. He thought that Edgar was retreating.

"Oh no you don't!" he cried, "You can't just walk out this easily!"

Blake made a mad rush towards Edgar. Edgar grabbed the beer bottle by the neck and swung it around. It smashed into the side of Blake's head and shattered. Beer and glass splashed and clattered to the floor. Blake was knocked out instantly and lay in a crumbled heap beside the bar.

Jack's eyes were wide with horror.

"Oh Edgar…is, is he okay?" she asked, suddenly afraid that he may have hit Blake too hard.

Edgar bent down to check his pulse.

"No, he's fine," he muttered, "He's just knocked out."

Jack nodded numbly, still horrified by what had just happened.

Edgar walked over to her and gave her a comforting hug.

"Come on," he murmured, "Let's get out of here."

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**I may go ahead and write the last chapter tonight. Then I'll write the epilogue tomorrow…or maybe I'll write that tonight too…depends on how my time goes.**


	25. Chapter 25

Alright

**Alright! Here it is! The last chapter…then I'll write the epilogue!!**

Chapter 25: The Question

Edgar and Jack made their way back to where the Northwestern was tied up at the dock. Jack kept making a fuss over Edgar's slight injuries from the fight. His lip had been busted open and he had a bruise forming on his jaw.

"I'm fine Jack, really I am!" assured Edgar as they climbed onto the boat.

"Dude!" shouted Matt, "What the heck happened to you?"

Jack gave Edgar an I-told-you-so look. Edgar just rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine. We just ran into Blake."

Just then, Sig emerged from the wheelhouse.

"You ran into Blake?" he asked, voice edged with disgust at the sound of the Maverick captain's name.

"Yeah," said Edgar, "Got into a bit of a fight. He's worse off than I am…trust me."

Sig shook his head in disbelief.

"Well go get yourself cleaned up before you start cleaning the boat. The last thing I need is blood stains on the new paint job."

"Gee, Sig," said Edgar sarcastically, "Thanks so much for your concern! I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Sig waved him off as he climbed down onto the deck to talk with the other crew members. Edgar sneered and climbed down below deck to tend to his wounds.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Later that evening as the sun was setting, Jack climbed over to the bow of the boat. She leaned over the rail and gazed out into the harbor to watch the sunset below the horizon. This was her final day at Dutch Harbor. She would be leaving that night to go back to her own house and her old life. She would not return until King crab season next fall.

She sighed at that thought. She did not want to go back to her old desk job and predictable lifestyle. She would trade a day out on the Bering Sea to any day behind some old desk.

Just then, Edgar walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Watcha doin'?" he murmured into her ear.

Jack smiled and leaned back into him. A pang of sadness hit her as she realized that she would also be leaving Edgar behind. She remembered everything they had been through together. The first time they met they had been sworn enemies. She had been so into Blake that she had ignored the fact that Edgar had serious feelings for her. She remembered the day he had opened up to her and told her about Sarah and the night outside the bar when they had kissed after dancing at the party. She remembered the kiss he gave her after biting the head off a herring and when she had been tied to the crane and swung out over the harbor water. She never wanted to forget a single moment. The men on the Northwestern had become her second family and she was not ready to leave them.

"I'm thinking," murmured Jack after a moment.

"Thinking about what?"

"You…the Northwestern, the boys, the ocean…everything," she said sadly, "I don't want to go."

Edgar smiled to himself as he turned her around to face him.

"You don't have to go anywhere," he said, looking into her eyes.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack giving him a confused look, "I've got to go back."

"No you don't."

"And what would I do then?" she asked, "It's not crab season."

"We fish year round…there's always cod fishing."

"That's only a couple months," retorted Jack, "What would I do after that? I have to work, Edgar."

"You could come to my home in Seattle with me."

Jack's eyes flew open in surprise.

"Edgar…"

"But you have to answer one question first," he said, interrupting her.

"What question?" asked Jack, thoroughly confused.

Edgar took a deep breath and pulled a small box out of his pocket.

"Will you marry me?"

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**I'll write the epilogue tomorrow!!**


	26. Chapter 26

Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**One Year Later…**

Edgar stood at the alter and watched as the wedding procession walked down the aisle. The entire crew of the Northwestern stood next to him as they waited for Jack.

Soon, the organ music filled the room as the doors opened. Jack stepped inside and began to walk down the aisle.

Edgar felt his throat close up with emotion as he was struck by her beauty. She smiled at him as she walked up and stood beside him at the alter.

When the time came, Edgar lifted the veil and kissed her, sealing their marriage forever.

**A Few Weeks Later…**

The time had come for the Dutch Harbor fleet to head out for the King crab season on the Bering Sea. The crew of the Northwestern was busy preparing the boat for departure when Jack climbed on and started calling for Edgar.

"What is it?" asked Matt, "Is everything okay?"

"More than okay!" exclaimed Jack, "Where's Edgar?"

"He's in the galley," said Matt, looking confused and curious, "I'll go get him."

Edgar came out of the galley followed by Nick, Jake, and Norman.

"What's going on?" he asked as he walked over to Jack.

"Where's Sig?" asked Jack, looking around.

"In the wheelhouse," said Edgar, "Why?"

"I want everyone to be here for this," replied Jack, eyes shining happily.

Matt went to get Sig and when everyone was on the deck, Jack began to speak.

"I won't be able to go with you guys this time," she said.

Jake gaped in surprise.

"What?" he exclaimed, "Why?"

The rest of the crew gave her a curious look. Jack turned her gaze to Edgar, barely suppressing her excitement.

"Because I'm pregnant."

**Three Years Later…**

Jack climbed onto the Northwestern for the first time in three years.

Nick, Norman, Jake, and Matt ran over to her, calling out excitedly.

"Jack!" yelled Matt, "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Sig's wife offered to take care of Sarah for me," called Jack as she walked over to the crew.

"Meaning you'll be coming with us?" asked Jake, excitedly.

"Yes, Jake," said Jack, beaming, "I'm coming with you guys this time."

**Thirteen Years Later…**

"But Mom…"

"Don't argue with me Sarah," said a very annoyed Jack Harper.

"It's not fair!"

"It's very fair."

"No it's not! If you can do it, so can I!"

Jack sighed and gave her daughter a frustrated look.

"Sarah, it's very dangerous out there. People die out on the Bering Sea every year! I don't know if that's the life you really want."

Sarah gave her mom an incredulous look. Her defiant hazel eyes flashed with irritation as Edgar strolled into the kitchen.

"What are you two arguing about?" he asked as he gave Jack a kiss.

"Mom won't let me work on the Northwestern," said Sarah, crossing her arms and giving her mom a hard stare.

Edgar could not help but laugh a little at that. She sounded so much like her mother. They were very much the same person. Sarah's auburn hair and hazel eyes matched her mother's perfectly. Her defiant stance and glare were also mirror images of Jack.

"You're just like your mother, you know that?" asked Edgar.

Jack sneered, "She's got your temper though."

"And your hardheaded attitude," retorted Edgar with a lopsided grin.

Jack smiled and shook her head. She turned her gaze to her daughter.

"Honey, I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know, mom. You never do. But I'm sixteen now! And if I am just like you, then I know I can do this. I _want_ to do this! Please?"

Jack and Edgar exchanged a look. Jack sighed and shook her head.

"You won't let me say no will you?"

Sarah shook her head and gave her mom a victorious smile.

"Fine."

Sarah gave a whoop of excitement and grabbed the car keys from the counter.

"Thanks mom!" she called as she headed for the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" asked Jack.

"Matt said that after you gave in that he'd buy me the gear I need," said Sarah with a coy smile.

Jack shook her head in disbelief.

"Matt," she mumbled under her breath, "Go figure. Okay, honey, just…"

"Be careful, yeah mom…I know."

A Few Weeks Later…

Jack, Edgar, and Sarah climbed onto the Northwestern. The rest of the crew had been preparing the boat for the King crab season.

Nick shook his head as he saw Sarah skip across the deck and walk down into the galley.

"Great," he mumbled, "Now there are five of them."

Jake and Matt laughed as they tied off another stack of pots.

Edgar and Jack gave them all a look. Just then, Sig walked out onto the deck and approached them.

"Well if she's anything like her parents, she'll be one of the best deckhands out on the Bering Sea."

Jack smiled and gave Sig a hug. She could not remember feeling this happy. Everyone she cared about was with her on the same boat. They would go out to brave the Bering Sea together. Whatever they faced, they had each other to lean on. They would never be alone. Nothing could get in their way…

**As for the Maverick…**

Blake and his crew were arrested shortly after the fight in the bar. They were charged with kidnapping, endangerment, aggravated assault, and attempted murder.

Rick Quashnick took back his old captain's position on the Maverick. He hired a brand new crew and restored the boat (including painting over the Northwestern's prank from the previous season).

He and Sig talked out their differences and were finally able to agree that the rivalry had to end. Now the Maverick became one of the Northwestern's closest friends. Eventually, the Time Bandit did the same.

**Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this story! Your support helped me sooooo much!! I'd like to give a shout out to the following people who reviewed my story:**

**Jane Minatti**

**Nylady**

**Gamingxwidow**

**Paperbackwriter9**

**Megs**

**Makeyafamous**

**Erica**

**DeadliestCatch Fan!**

**Anon**

**Marebear007**

**Syraka**

**Gypsybeads**

**Thank you all sooooo much!!**

**Be sure to keep an eye on that Deadliest Catch Oneshot Series that I started. I'm going to post a couple of new additions soon. **

**I'm thinking about doing a cross-over with Prison Break and Deadliest Catch. Please let me know if you'd be interested in it! If I don't get a response I probably won't write it and move on to something else. Thanks!!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	27. UPDATE

Hey guys

Hey guys! I know that according to the rules of fanfiction that I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I know several of you have assigned this story as one of your email-alerts so I figured that it was the best way to let all of you know.

After so many amazing reviews for this story and so many requests for more, I've decided to write a sequel!

It's called: **Greenhorns and Rivals: The Next Generation.**

Check out my profile for the full summary!

Also check out: **Deadliest Catch Oneshots Series**! I'll be posting a new one-shot tonight (May 4, 2008).

I've also started a story called **The Elite**. You can also read the full summary on my profile page!

Thanks again to all who reviewed this story! I hope that my sequel lives up to your expectations!!

L


End file.
